Question

Batch geocode a sql server table?

  • 11 February 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 1 view

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Would someone be able to recommend the best method to batch geocode addresses using a local geocoder in an FME workspace?

 

Ideally I want to read addresses stored in sql server table, use HTTPCaller to call the service and output returned coordinates plus address and uid to another

sql server table.

 

Is it possible to do it this way?

2 replies

Userlevel 4

Hi

Sure, that should work just fine. I'm not sure what you mean about using a "local geocoder", but if you've got your own internal geocoder with a REST-based API, it should be fairly easy. If it's based on SOAP services it will be a bit more complicated, but still doable if you're not afraid of tackling some XML.

There are also a couple of custom transformers in FME that you could download and look at for inspiration, e.g. the GoogleGeocoder.

David

Userlevel 5
Badge +25

If you want to include an attribute value in the URL you shoud use @Value(attribute_name) instead of @attribute_name, maybe that's the cause.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you'll be hitting the service once per record, so you may need to slow things down by using a Decelerator (the GoogleGeocoder needs this for example, as it's metered, your own service may not be)

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