Dealing with Postcodes on a website

[webboy1]

We are creating a site which has around 20 addresses on it. They are all places to eat out in a town in Britain.

We are putting in a search facility where the user can search by Postcode.

Is there any bit of software, or any code available that anyone knows off that would allow us to help the user find a postcode near them.

i.e. if they search for PA12 5TH, and this address is not one of the 20 address, then a response saying something like "Sorry, we don't have a residence at this postcode, however we do have one at PA12 6TH Just round the corner." would appear.

Obviously something would have to work out what postcodes are where.

Does anyone know of anything out there that may be able to do this?

Webboy

[chris_f]

I think the Royal Mail have this technology, however, you are talking about k's in the double fingures.

ATOB
Chris.

[peewhy]

If you have only say 20 venues why not use districts instead of post codes.

The number of variables in post codes make is quite a task and as Chris says, the Royal Snail has the technology but they will want big money.

[ritch_b]

AFD Postcode Finder is a pretty comprehensive piece of kit, although it may be a bit overkill for what you've got in mind!

Never hurts to look though!

R.

[peewhy]

I see a downside to postal code searches.

It may have an adverse affect on what you are trying to achieve.

Let's say someone puts in a postal code that doesn't cover on of your 20 twenty venues, will is throw up something like 'nothing found'

A few of those won't bode too well:)

[webboy1]

It is the client who has requested a postcode search. My intended way of building this was just to Dynamically fill a drop down menu with all the Postcodes available in the database.

Then pull up the details with ASP depending which of the postcodes in the drop down was selected.

I admit that it is a strange thing to search, as people would tend to look for the region or street name, rather than the postcode.

I think the intention is that the 20 addresses will grow to quite a bit more, so we are looking into all possibilities before it gets that far.

I think for now though, after what i have read, i will stick with the drop down menu.

Cheers for the help anyway though!

Webboy

[aspdaddy]

The data doesnt actually cost that much, but it may be overkill for this.

You could just index your own in a database, split them into 3 colums so you can search:

County Sector Grid Reference
PA 12 5TH

[peewhy]

I think you are right about the drop down menu ... the other was a tad ambitious but clients think that you type in the code "run post code search" and something writes a massive script in seconds or less :)