[uf-discuss] Microformats in Google Maps

[Rob Manson]

Hi all,

converting a freeform address is definitely much easier nowadays with
all the geocode services out there, so nobody should have to develop
their own custom parser any more.

For example Google provides an excellent service so any publisher with
freeform address data should not only be able to generate a geocode from
that text but also retrieve a nicely sliced up structured address too.

e.g.

UNSTRUCTURED INPUT DATA: (To use the previous address example)
922 Aldridge Rd, Birmingham B44


GEOCODE CALL:
http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?q=922+Aldridge+Rd,+Birmingham
+B44&output=json&key=YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEY_HERE


STRUCTURED OUTPUT AS JSON (or other format as requested):
{"name":"922 Aldridge Rd, Birmingham
B44","Status":{"code":200,"request":"geocode"},"Placemark":[{"id":"p1","address":"922 Aldridge Rd, Birmingham, Birmingham, B44 8, UK","AddressDetails":{"Country":{"CountryNameCode":"GB",
"AdministrativeArea":{"AdministrativeAreaName":"England",
"SubAdministrativeArea":{"SubAdministrativeAreaName":"Birmingham",
"Locality":{"LocalityName":"Birmingham","Thoroughfare":{"ThoroughfareName":"922 Aldridge Rd"},"PostalCode":{"PostalCodeNumber":"B44 8"}}}}},"Accuracy": 8},"Point":{"coordinates":[-1.903576,52.544932,0]}}]}


So now you have nicely structured hCard data:
<div class="street-address">922 Aldridge Rd</div> <!-- ThoroughfareName
-->
<span class="locality">Birmingham</span>, <!-- LocalityName -->
<span class="region">Birmingham</span>, <!-- SubAdministrativeArea -->
<span class="postal-code">B44</span> <!-- PostalCodeNumber -->
<div class="country-name">England</div> <!-- AdministrativeAreaName -->



But I'm sure I'm telling you all how to suck eggs 8)



Rob Manson


BTW Scott...I tried your auto_geo tool and got the following error:

Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was
unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator,
webmaster at microformat.makedatamakesense.com and inform them of the time
the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have
caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error
log.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use
an ErrorDocument to handle the request.