Let’s start with the fact that it is not easy for an ordinary utilizer to understand certain capabilities of an IT service if he does not understand the terminology of a particular service very well. This statement is also valid for services that include a system with the ability to provide a geocoding function. In many sources such a system is called a geocoder. Geocoders are widely popular and in demand by various categories of users and businesses.
All IT services that have the ability to receive, provide and transform geo-data are divided into two groups: a group of online and a group of offline services. In our article, we will focus on the geocoding api online service.
Types of geocoding and their application
Continuing to talk about terms, we should recall that the process of geocoding is nothing more than the transformation of the location of any object specified by the user in an arbitrary form convenient for him, into a certain location that has certain parameters – geographical length (GL) and width (GW). Simply put, the transformation of a verbal description into geo-coordinates (GC). This is commonly referred to as direct geocoding.
Along with this, there is also a reverse geocoding process. It is used in cases where the task is to determine and provide a postal address for any location which is indicated by GC, for instance – country, city, street, region, house, entrance, etc.
It is obvious that both direct and reverse geocoding in each specific case solves own problems of the utilizers and largely depends on the following mandatory features: the size of the database and the speed of the geocoding process itself.
Why is the most filled database so important? Because the accuracy and detail of the answer that you receive to your request depends on it. After all, you must admit that the value of information is not great, when it will be limited, for example, only by indicating the settlement without designating the street or even housing estate. Well, of course, the speed with which the geocoder responds to the utilizer’s request significantly affects its performance, which means that it favorably distinguishes it from similar services. At the same time, it should be noted that both of these mandatory features need constant maintenance and service. This means that geocoding services require ongoing capital investment to keep information up to date and perform at a high level of performance. So as a result, the services of almost all geocoding api are chargeable.
Using the Geocoding API
The range of utilizers of the API geocoders is wide and varied. All those who are interested in searching for any locations, up to searching for specific residential areas, streets, buildings, etc., by their name or GC, welcome to our site! The main thing that you should remember is that the subject of the search is not formed by you manually. Your task is just to send a request with the required features, and the api geocoder will do all the work without your participation because its actions are automated.
What does a request for the geocoder api mean? This is nothing more than the original facts that you send in the form of the so-called “hypertext transfer protocol” – HTTP or HTTPS. The difference between these protocols lies in the level of their security. HTTPS is a secure protocol, unlike HTTP, so if you need to keep your information confidential, then it would be more correct to use the HTTPS protocol. Our api service is adapted to both of these protocols, while the information itself in the request can be in a user-friendly format. To learn much more about how to create requests, what positions of the original facts must be included in the request, from what facts the service response is formed, etc., you just need to read the governing documentation. You can find and read it in the corresponding section of our website.
Obviously, the process of direct or reverse geocoding is one of the main helpers for business, which is focused on obtaining and analyzing information about the locations of existing and potential customers, partners, competing companies and other locations in all cases when they have addresses and/or GC. In addition, the geocoder is a good assistant in developing optimal routes for various types of relocations.
In conclusion, we would like to note that despite the fact that at the moment there are many geo-information services, our geocoding api service is not only not inferior, but often surpasses many of them. In addition, it is created in such a way that it will not present for you any difficulties if you decide to use it instead of your usual analogues.