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Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
Old 04-18-2007, 12:09 PM Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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The website is a food site, and I would like to make a database where a visitor can enter their postal code (XXX XXXX) and then submit it and find the closest 3-4 stores that have the product based on their location. Any help on how to do this, or tutorials? I'm thinking it's pretty hard to do.
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Old 04-18-2007, 02:43 PM Re: Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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Is this PHP, ROR, or ASP?
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Old 04-18-2007, 03:30 PM Re: Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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I have no clue on what language it would be. I just need to know if there is an easy way to do it. If it's too hard to do myself, i'd get a pro to do it.
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Old 04-18-2007, 04:01 PM Re: Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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I would imagine the hardest part would be gaining access to various stores inventory in order to know what they do and don't have. If you have access to this info then putting it into a database and searching it based on the stores zip code is not too difficult.
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Old 04-18-2007, 05:13 PM Re: Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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First thing that comes to mind: you do mean zip code, right? In your post you said XXX XXXX, which looks like a phone number, minus the area code ( NPA ). With the right data, you could tie a phone number to a specific location a lot better than you can with zip codes, but that data is kept under lock and key.

One problem is that in a city, a zip code might cover a few dozen blocks, but in rural areas, it could be 50 square miles. I don't know your product, where it might be sold, or anything ... but if it's sold in North Dakota, a zip code might have three stores, and you won't know which is the closest. You should ask for addresses. I don't have the URL ( although Google can find it for you if you go this route ), but there's a free geo-coding web service, where you send an address, and it sends latitude and longitude.

The last problem is making use of the data. Whatever form you get it in, you have to do some math to find the closest store to the user. I'm guessing that would be easiest with lata/long, but I could be wrong here.

Finally, you might want to look into Google Maps; you could embed them into your page easily and without cost. If you decide to go with addresses and turn them into lat/lon, you can add little pin markers to the maps, let the user get directions, and all of that.
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Old 04-18-2007, 06:19 PM Re: Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Republikin View Post
I would imagine the hardest part would be gaining access to various stores inventory in order to know what they do and don't have. If you have access to this info then putting it into a database and searching it based on the stores zip code is not too difficult.
I dont think he means specific inventory I think he means like where you can buy a certain product (IE find stores that sell the companies products).
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Old 04-20-2007, 04:42 AM Re: Want to add a Postal Code search to site.
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Found this while looking through php resource index...I think it might do what you want.

http://www.iqservices.com/xlocator/

(Im not affiliated with this site...never heard of it untill today.)
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