Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Put the zip code first

zipcodefirst.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 330 posts

Re: Put the zip code first

#91

Post by Someone1234 »

modeless wrote: post #37

> From those 5 characters you can determine the city, the state, and the country False. Many zip codes include more than one city, and some even cross multiple states. And you can't always tell the difference between codes from different countries. Now you're not just instantly filling the rest of the form, you're implementing fancy multi-country filtering logic, editable drop downs, etc. Given the obvious incompeten…

The linked article feels like it is going to get linked in a response article titled "Things you don't know about zip codes" in the next 48-hours to a week.

Re: Put the zip code first

#92

Post by bell-cot »

bicx wrote: post #69
modeless wrote: post #37

> From those 5 characters you can determine the city, the state, and the country False. Many zip codes include more than one city, and some even cross multiple states. And you can't always tell the difference between codes from different countries. Now you're not just instantly filling the rest of the form, you're implementing fancy multi-country filtering logic, editable drop downs, etc. Given the obvious incompeten…

This 1000 times. I’ve tried implementing what OP has mentioned, and quickly learned it isn’t possible. A city can also exist in multiple zip codes. And there can be multiple cities with the same name in the same state. So, to be safe, you have to enter city, state, and zip.

Make that 1003+ times. At least in my part of the US, even a pretty modest-size city will have multiple zip codes. And zip codes can have zero geographical footprint (meaning street address) - for example, some zip's are just for Post Office Boxes. And a physical address can have an official USPS address & zip of "Middle City", while physically being in (say) Middle Township. And other fun stuff.

Re: Put the zip code first

#93

Post by gmueckl »

hyperhello wrote: post #60
NicuCalcea wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, the second sentence in the post is incorrect. > From those 5 characters you can determine the city, the state, and the country. You can't infer the country from a postcode.

In the example, you might at least be able to cut down your menu choices to Maine or Mexico.

Only if you're limiting yourself tok those two countries. A lot of countries use the entirety of a 4 or 5 digit range for their codes. Any given 5 digit number is likely a valid ZIP code in at least half dozen countries.

Re: Put the zip code first

#94

Post by evrimoztamur »

In the Netherlands most websites use a common routing database to map a combination of a ZIP code and house number (+ suffix) to your exact address automatically. Great UX! And naturally depends on good administrative and postal services data quality.

Re: Put the zip code first

#95

Post by Someone1234 »

ghostly_s wrote: post #86
bicx wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This 1000 times. I’ve tried implementing what OP has mentioned, and quickly learned it isn’t possible. A city can also exist in multiple zip codes. And there can be multiple cities with the same name in the same state. So, to be safe, you have to enter city, state, and zip.

> A city can also exist in multiple zip codes. And there can be multiple cities with the same name in the same state. These are reasons you cannot deduce the Zip from the city, not the opposite. A ZIP+4 actually encodes all other information for a US address.

Nobody knows their +4 code. You cannot ask for information 90%+ of people won't have.

Re: Put the zip code first

#96

Post by pentagrama »

Besides the issues of the OP approach that many point out on this thread, I also want to point out that the ZIP code input on the example, doesn't have the type=number so my mobile keyboard opens with the whole keys instead of the numeric keyboard, in this case that ZIP codes are only numbers, the type=number will improve accessibility.

Re: Put the zip code first

#97

Post by pdpi »

In the UK, it's pretty common for the post code to be the first field in address forms, and for the form to then offer auto-completion for the whole address based on the post code. Postcodes are specific enough that the autocomplete will just give you a handful of addresses (e.g. my postcode will give you just the flats for the building I live in).

Re: Put the zip code first

#98

Post by rmunn »

peyton wrote: post #89
avidiax wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Should be titled "Put the Zipcode and country first". Would be simple enough to have someone type the zip or postal code first, then move the countries that are known to have that zip code to the top of the drop down (still in alphabetical order), and all the other countries below that (also in alphabetical order). Leave all the fields editable, i.e. the postal code only suggests, ranks, or prepopulates. Seems like t…

ZIP Code (tm) is claimed as a trademark by the US Postal Service. If you don’t have a ZIP Code, why would you put something in the ZIP Code field?

Because most websites won't have two separate fields for "ZIP code" and "postal code". Even if they knew that ZIP Code is a trademark (I didn't until you mentioned it), they would (wisely) know that putting in two fields would just confuse most people. So they put in one field. Many sites label it as "ZIP code / postal code", but some just label it as "ZIP code". But the intent is clear: put in the multi-digit string that identifies your address, whether your country calls it a ZIP code or a postal code.

Re: Put the zip code first

#99

Post by iberator »

diath wrote: post #3

Ok but that only fetches the codes from the US, so now a non-US resident will start with their zip code and end up with random ass place on the other side of the globe. Now not only I still have to fill in the fields, but also clear them first.

I don't own a post code and permanent residence. It's a pain in the ass to find some local post code whole in rush etc silly idea
Post reply on HN