Postcode search

[evenflow]

What's the easiest way to get postcode search on a website?
Say I've got a database with some addresses in, I want the user to be able to type in their postcode and have results returned in order of distance from their home.
Presumably you have to buy postcode data from the post office?

[dougc]

Do you have/have access to Microsoft MapPoint?

ETA scrub that. Just re-read what you want and my idea makes no sense at all!!

Edited by dougc on Wednesday 12th December 17:22

[Noger]

Both the PAF (address to postcode mapping), and Postzon (postcode to geocode) are pretty expensive.

The thing to use is the Google Maps API I think, to get it to do the geocoding for you. You can then do a a bit of pythagorus to work out the distances.

[evenflow]

I'm liking the sound of that idea...will investigate, thanks.

[PetrolTed]

There are some free (unofficial) postcode databases lurking about on the web (area codes only). Combine one of those with the formula to calculate distance between lat/lng positions (also available via Googling) and Bob's your proverbial.

[Work-Shy-Wanabe]

I use postcodeanywhere, which was really easy to get working.

You can see it working on my site http://www.shacktools.com/ go to create account and enter a postcode, a pop up comes up and it then fills the correct boxes. Its cool, increased my conversion rate enough to provide a good ROI too.

[ianw]

We use www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk , have done so for many years, easy to link into your website.