Address, Postcode and Bank solutions
THE ZIPCODE ROBOT
ROBOT Technology is protected by Patent No GB2369699.
AFD ZipAddress contains AFD Robot® technology (Patent GB 2369699) which will automatically detect the typing of a zip+4 code or zipcode and other property information in most Windows applications, and convert it into a full address.
ZipAddress allows you to enable or disable Robot entirely - but you can also choose, separately for each application you use, whether to enable Robot at all - and if so, whether to operate normally or in "Quiet" mode.
In "Normal" mode, when Robot detects that you have typed a zip+4 code or some other information comma separated with a zipcode it will show a window, and allow you to choose whether to insert the address, for the zipcode you typed, into your application
In "Quiet" mode Robot will only prompt you if the zip+4 code you typed may indicate more than one address. Some Zip+4 codes, or a zipcode which has been qualified by property information have one address associated with them - in which case Quiet mode allows Robot to operate entirely invisibly and automatically. Often there will be more than one address - and Robot must ask you which of the possible addresses to use.
Robot also supports a "Fast Find" mode where it can search for addresses in the same way as the 'Find' field on the main Postcode Plus window by typing a sequence such as #5254,22015# into your application. Alternatively if you are not using quiet mode and type any known Zip+4 code (e.g. 23229-4653) into your application you can then use Fast Find direct from the Robot window to find the address you require.
When ZipAddress is first installed, Robot is enabled. To turn this feature off across all applications, simply de-select the 'Enable Zipcode Robot' option on the General tab of the Postcode Plus Properties Window. From the File menu, Properties option (or shortcut [CTRL]+R).
You can also choose if the System Tray Icon is displayed from here. The "Prompt user to setup Robot with new applications" option enables Robot to automatic detect Zip+4 codes entered in unrecognised applications and prompt you to show Robot how to enter an address so that you will never have to enter the address manually in that application again. If you do not wish to use this mode then you can switch this option off from here.
The Startup options 'Normal', 'Minimised' and 'Robot Only' allow you to specify how ZipAddress starts. If you mainly use the Robot you may wish for ZipAddress to be minimised, so you can easily bring it up when required, or to simply have the Robot on it's own running - you can Restore ZipAddress from the Robot System Tray icon is needed.
Robot is the simplest way to get a complete address into your application - Start AFD ZipAddress, switch to the program you wish to insert the address into and type in a zip+4 code. Robot will prompt you to check that you really do wish to add the address and allow you to select the address you require. On clicking Insert, inserts the address for you - right back into the application you're using! If the address is not as expected you can enter another Zip+4 code or fast find into the 'Find' box and click Lookup to find the right address.
For example:
Your Action If you type normal text If you type a Zip+4 Code If you type a zipcode with property information - Robot's Action Robot ignores what you typed - and the text appears just as you typed it. Robot detects the zip+4 code - and converts it into an address. Robot detects the zipcode and looks it up with the property information (can be Recipient, Primary address, or Number, Primary Address), returning a matching address if one is found. What you would
see without Robot:Dear Sir,
Following our meeting
23229-4653 Ste 97,20109 What you would see
with Robot:Dear Sir,
Following our meeting
Ridge School
8910 Three Chopt Rd
Henrico VA 23229-4653Ste 97
8300 Sudley Rd
Manassas VA 20109-3462When you install AFD ZipAddress, settings for the following applications are installed automatically - and you will normally find that Robot works just as you require without any changes or configuration at all:
- dBase
- Lotus 1-2-3
- Lotus AmiPro
- Lotus Approach
- Lotus WordPro
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Works
- Notepad
- Paradox
- Quattro Pro
- WordPad
- WordPerfect
Robot is fully configurable and it is easy to modify the way it behaves for an application already supported - or to create new settings for other applications.
The behaviour of Robot is controlled by associating a group of settings with your application. For most common applications Robot will work without any additional configuration. If Robot detects a Zip+4 code has been typed into an application that it does not recognise then you will be prompted to teach Robot how to type an example address so that it can learn from you and therefore complete the address automatically in the future.
You can check the 'Don't ask me about this window again' option if you do not want Robot to prompt you about this window when you type a postcode in again - e.g. if you do not wish to use Robot with that window. For more information on the process of teaching Robot how to insert the address see the Show AFD Robot How section of this manual.
Alternatively you can provide settings to tell Robot how the address information is passed to your application (e.g. order of fields, keystrokes to send between fields). For full details of this, please refer to the Tell AFD Robot How section of this manual.
For more advanced configuration, please also see the Insert and Robot Advanced Setup section.
By default ZipAddress displays a System Tray icon for Robot (near the clock at the bottom right of your screen. This indicates if Robot is enabled and gives you quick access to disable the Robot or configure it's options.
Toggling Robot On/Off
Clicking the icon will toggle Robot On and Off (enable and disable it). You will see a green circle when it is on (as shown above) and this will change to red when it is off.Setting Options
By right clicking the icon you will be presented with a small pop-up menu allowing you to enable/disable the Robot, remove the icon from the Sys Tray (see Enabling Robot for how to re-instate the icon from the ZipAddress main screen), or Restore/Hide the main form if you wish to toggle between using the Robot alone. You can also gain quick access to the properties and settings for Robot which are described above.
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