PHP ZIP Code Locator FAQ

What ZIP code data is included with the locator?

The ZIP code data contains almost 42,000 ZIP codes. Each entry consists of: ZIP code, latitude, longitude, city, and state. For example:

"20001",38.91,-77.01,"WASHINGTON","DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA","DC"

I've seen other products that have over 42,000 ZIP codes. Why does this have less?

The installation script removes duplicate entries and entries that have a latitude and longitude of zero (military ZIP codes), which are useless for a ZIP code locator.

Can I use alternative ZIP code data with these scripts?

Yes, as long as it contains latitude and longitude for each ZIP code. There is a list of data providers here.

To use alternate data, load the ZIP code data into a database table. Then modify the zipconfig.php file to point to your ZIP code table. The locator will immediately begin using the new data.

I don't have a location table. Do you provide a table for me to use?

PHP ZIP Code Locator is designed to work with existing location tables. There is no default location table provided.

If your locations are already in a delimited text file and you have some familiarity with PHP, you can modify the example location data script for your data.

If you are unfamiliar with PHP or need to enter the data by hand you should use MySQL Administrator. If you use a host provider, they should have a web-based database administration tool.

Once your table is created and loaded, simply point the locator to it and start performing radius searches.

Does the locator work with Canadian postal codes?

Yes. You will need the Canadian Postal Code Database.

Are there any other PHP components required to be installed on the server?

No.

Do I need to know PHP?

The amount of PHP code needed to create and configure a basic locator for your web page is minimal:

$locator = new Locator();
$locator->table = "my_location_table";
$locator->zipcode_col_name = "zip";
$locator->run();


Note: If you want to customize the input form or output display, you should have some experience with PHP and HTML.

Is the source code encoded?

The main function file is encoded. The examples are not.