AFD Products: ZipAddress Manual

INTRODUCTION & INSTALLATION

Introduction

AFD ZipAddress provides a comprehensive link to the data of the United States Postal Service Zip+4 database to deliver rapid, accurate postal addresses for the whole of the USA. It can speed up the entry of address information into other programs, look up addresses, even if only fragments are known, and provide a wealth of additional postal information linked to the Zip+4 code

Type in the Zip+4 code you require, and ZipAddress will supply the following data:

Recipient
Secondary
Primary
Urbanization
City
State
Record Type
Carrier Route ID
City Abbreviation
County Number
County Name
LACS Status
Congressional District
Finance Number

If you have 'messy' address data, or you don't know a Zipcode, ZipAddress helps by looking up an address - even from small fragments.

You can use these records to immediately print labels or envelopes - complete with a Post Net Barcode using the TrueType PostNet font included with ZipAddress.

For maximum benefit, AFD ZipAddress can be easily linked into other programs. In Windows, the stand-alone ZipAddress program can be used for simple look-ups, or to squirt data into other programs. It can also provide Dynamic Data Exchange for other programs, or you can use our powerful Dynamic Link Libraries if your application has a suitable programming language.

AFD ZipAddress also includes ROBOT® technology (Patent GB 2369699) which allows integration of ZipAddress into other applications with no programming required and we don't even need to recognise your application! Simply type the Zip+4 code or some address information comma separated with the Zipcode and AFD ZipAddress does the rest and brings back the full address with or without prompting!

All programs and data provided by ZipAddress are copyright and protected by Copyright Laws, by the Berne convention and other International Copyright treaties.

Under the terms of the ZipAddress End User License Agreement, you are permitted to install and use components of AFD ZipAddress only on the number of computers, terminals or workstations for which a license is held, although the larger data elements of the system may be installed on a file server for central access if a multi-user license is held. You may additionally make one copy of the program master disks for back-up purposes, but no other copies are permitted, for whatever reason.

Evaluation versions of AFD ZipAddress and the associated sample data, are nevertheless copyright material. You may make and distribute copies of the evaluation version and its sample data, but these copies must be complete and unaltered. You may NOT use the sample data provided for any purpose other than to assist in evaluating the usefulness of ZipAddress.

Data within AFD ZipAddress is the copyright of the United States Postal Service and AFD Computers. You may access and use this data only as part of the AFD ZipAddress system, to provide address data for a bona-fide address-based application. You may not extract, reverse-engineer or re-distribute data or programs provided under any circumstances whatsoever.

ZipAddress must be updated at intervals not greater than six months apart. Update fees include a fresh set of data, program updates and free technical support. Updates are at present available quarterly.

Installation

ZipAddress is installed automatically by the installation program and all files are placed in the correct folders. Some information from your License Certificate will be required during installation, so you are advised to have this to hand:

Place the AFD ZipAddress Compact Disc in your drive then from the Task Bar, select Start - Run, then type d:\Setup and click OK

... where 'd:' is the drive letter of your CD-Rom drive - usually D:

Follow the instructions and provide the information requested by the installation program.

The installation will create menu entries for ZipAddress. These will include entries or icons for ZipAddress, the Welcome program, and for various help and information documents.

The evaluation version of the program contains a restricted set of data, covering part of the state of Virginia only.

Registration

On new installations, ZipAddress will operate in a special mode, giving full access to data, for about two weeks. To register and fully activate your copy of the program, run the ZipAddress 'Welcome' program.

The evaluation version of the program contains only a limited set of data, and does not require registration.

A copy of the 'Welcome' program is supplied to simplify the process of Registration and activation of your program license. To register your copy of ZipAddress, you will also need the information printed on the 'License Certificate' supplied with your program.

To register, run the 'Welcome' program from the Task Bar select Start - Programs - AFD ZipAddress - Welcome

Enter your Account Code and Serial Number in the relevant boxes (if not already displayed), then tab down to the 'Activation Code' box. If the computer to be registered has access to the Internet, the Welcome program can complete the registration process automatically.

You can also register via a WWW browser on another computer by visiting:

http://www.afd.co.uk/register.asp

and simply transfer the information to/from this machine.

If you need personal assistance with the registration process, you can email support@zipaddress.com.

De-Registration

If you require to move your AFD ZipAddress Licence from one machine to another or if you will be upgrading a machine and will be replacing your hard drive, you should first de-register the license from that machine and transfer it back to our server. At which point you will be able to register AFD ZipAddress on the other machine instead, and so transfer your license.

To do this, run the Welcome program (as described in the Registration section) and click the 'De-Activate' button to transfer the license back. You can then register it on the new machine as described in the Registration section.

Please note that in the case of wiping a hard disk drive you must de-register before you erase your registration information by wiping that hard disk drive.

If you have problems de-registering then please follow our manual procedure by submitting a Re-registration form.

Technical Support

Your first point of contact for support should be your system manager who knows your system and its specific configuration. If he/she is unable to resolve any issue, he/she should then contact your ZipAddress supplier for assistance.

Making sure that our customers get the best from our products is important to us, so if your ZipAddress supplier is unable to assist you, ZipAddress itself offers unlimited free technical support, via the Internet. We don't limit how often you can request help - so long as you have a current licensed copy of ZipAddress, we're here to help:

World Wide Web
This major resource provides 24 hour, direct access to all AFD's technical resources. If you have a question, need program examples or require a skilled ZipAddress dealer to help with your system, start by visiting our web site at: www.zipaddress.com or email your request to support@zipaddress.com.

Email
If you have a specific question not covered by the information on our WWW site, you may email your request to support@zipaddress.com.

Please note that all support for ZipAddress is provided by use of the Internet in these ways. We are unable to respond to requests for help by telephone, fax or post.

Data & Data Updates

Address data is constantly changing as a result of property redevelopment, business moves and the increasing trend towards the automation of mail delivery. To ensure that you get the maximum benefit from your investment in ZipAddress, you should ensure that the data you are using is as up-to-date as possible.

AFD has invested in state-of-the-art technology to provide you with the best possible address data within our programs. Taking United States Postal Service data, and converting it ready for release to our customers in just three days, means that ZipAddress Data is often weeks, and sometimes months more up-to-date than data from other sources.

Four data updates are issued each year - usually in early in March, June, September and December - subject to USPS delivery.

Make sure that you place your order so that each data update is sent to you as soon as it is prepared.

References

The data in ZipAddress is derived from the Zip+4 file and CityState files published by the United States Postal Service. Full details of the data, and guidelines for addressing standards are available on the USPS web site at http://www.usps.gov and in a variety of USPS publications - especially Publication 28 'Postal Addressing Standards'. The USPS site also explains how to notify the USPS of any errors or amendments to the USPS data.

General Information on ZipAddress, support and program news is available at the ZipAddress Web site at http://www.zipaddress.com.

Address, Postcode and Bank solutions