The  CDXZipStream toolbar has a button third from the left that looks like a small certificate or drivers license.  It's the License Information and Software Updates (LISU) button, and it's the main portal through which you can get and maintain your CDXZipStream software.  We'd like to review all the things you can do when you press this button. 

But first, a couple of things before we start.  To use the LISU button, the CDXZipStream toolbar must be visible (duh!).  If you can't see the toolbar, we've posted a couple of support articles that address this problem.  Also, many of the activities described below will require you to login to your CDX Technologies account. (Once you've purchased CDXZipStream, this account will have already been created for you.)  If you've lost your account information, or can't remember your password, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@cdxtech.com and we'll quickly get your information to you.

Purchase CDXZipStream:  If you've downloaded and installed the CDXZipStream free demo, press the LISU button to initiate the purchasing process.  We've covered all the details of the purchasing process in a previous blog post, so please refer to that for more information.

Once you've purchased and installed CDXZipStream, the following functions are available:

Get Data Updates:  Press the LISU button, then press "Data Updates' and login to your account.  You'll be directed to a webpage where you can click on the Product drop-down list to see the data updates available for your version of CDXZipStream.  Then just follow the purchasing process on the website.

Get Product Updates:  Press the LISU button, then press "Product Updates" to check to see if you have the latest release of the software.  We are continuing to refine and add new features to CDXZipStream, and as of this writing we provide software updates free of charge.  After pressing this button you will be automatically directed to our website where you will have the option to download and install the latest version.

Generate a Keycode:  You can use the "Generate Keycode" button on the LISU box to transfer CDXZipStream to another computer.  First, download and install the CDXZipStream demo on the new computer.  When installation is complete and Microsoft Excel opens, press the LISU button, press the "Buy Now" button, then press "Generate KeyCode".  Log into your account and a web page allowing you to generate a new keycode should appear with your new Computer ID automatically entered. This Computer ID is unique for each PC and your registration code is based on it. Then press "Next" to generate your new registration key.

Copy your new keycode from the box that appears and press the "x" in the upper right corner to minimize your browser. Then paste the copied code into the "Keycode" section of the LISU box and press "OK".  CDXZipStream will now be fully activated on your new computer.

Update a Keycode:   You can also use the "Update Keycode" button on the LISU box if you wish to upgrade your version of CDXZipStream.  Login to your CDXZipStream account, and under the Account menu on the left select "Product Management".  Press "Upgrade License" and go through the purchasing process to obtain the upgrade and accompanying keycode.  Copy your new keycode from the box that appears and press the "x" in the upper right corner to minimize your browser. Then paste the copied code into the "Keycode" section of the LISU box and press "Update Keycode".  The upgraded version of CDXZipStream will now be fully activated on your new computer.  Don't forget to download any accompanying data files for the new version; these files are available under your account's "Product Management" webpage.

Warn if Zip Code Data is Out of Date:  Since zip code data changes frequently, and we update our database on a monthly basis, you can elect to receive an automatic message to warn you if your database is out of date.  Just check or uncheck this box according to your preference. 

Last but not least, the LISU box also provides general information on product registration status, available data feeds for your version of CDXZipStream, as well as product version, database version, and date of the last database update.

CDXZipStream, our Microsot Excel add-in, has some very useful functions that perform a variety of location-based calculations, ranging from creating zip code lists for a given city to finding latitude and longitude for an address.  These functions are readily accessible by right-clicking with the mouse on any cell in an Excel worksheet - a "custom function" (similar to standard Excel functions like SUM or AVERAGE) is then inserted into the worksheet cell and performs the desired calculation.  Please refer to our previous blog for more general information about custom functions in Excel.

To help guide CDXZipStream users when accessing these functions, here is a quick review that includes short video tutorials (in Shockwave and Windows Media formats) on their use:

CDXFindZip:  Finds all the zip codes for a given city.  CDXFindZip.swf (1.56 mb)  CDXFindZip.wmv (1.03 mb)

CDXDistance:  Finds the distance between two zip codes.  CDXDistance.swf (1.88 mb)  CDXDistance.wmv (1.15 mb)

CDXRadius:  Finds all zip codes within a radius distance of a target zip code.  When used with Microsoft MapPoint, it can also create a radius map around a target zip code.  CDXRadius.swf (4.41 mb)  CDXRadius.wmv (3.10 mb)

CDXRouteMP:  Working with Microsoft MapPoint, calculates driving time, distance, and cost between two locations, and can also create a map of the route.  CDXRouteMP.swf (5.73 mb)  CDXRouteMP.wmv (3.77 mb)

CDXLocateMP:  Working with Microsoft MapPoint, verifies latitude, longitude, and address information for a given location, and can also create a map of the location.  CDXLocateMP.swf (4.24 mb)  CDXLocateMP.wmv (3.06 mb)

CDXDistance2WP:  Working with Microsoft MapPoint, calculates the distance between two waypoints.  A waypoint is a location defined by its latitude and longitude.  CDXDistance2WP.swf (2.27 mb)  CDXDistance2WP.wmv (1.47 mb)

CDXClosest: Finds the zip code from a list that's closest to a target zip code.  CDXClosest.swf (4.10 mb)  CDXClosest.wmv (2.70 mb)

CDXZipList:  Creates a list of zip codes for any city, county, or state.  CDXZipList.swf (3.08 mb)  CDXZipList.wmv (1.82 mb)

In upcoming posts we'll be reviewing these functions in more detail, showing how they can be used to solve real-world problems when dealing with zip code, address and location-based data in general.  Stay tuned!

Radius analysis based on zip codes can be an extremely easy way to perform a variety of tasks, such as identifying customers closest to a store location, assigning client calls to sales representatives, or designing a direct-mail campaign for a charitable event.

Our Excel add-in CDXZipStream uses the custom function CDXDistance to calculate the straight-line distance between zip codes.  (Since this is a very fast calculation, thousand of zip codes can be processed very quickly.)  To help our clients better use this functionality, we are now offering a free Microsoft Excel template that employs CDXDistance to automatically filter zip codes based on their distance from a target zip.  

Just enter a list of zip codes in the template, specify the "target" zip code of interest and the radius distance (in either miles or kilometers), and the template automatically filters the list and shows only those zip codes that fall within the radius distance.  Any rows that contain zip codes not within the radius are hidden by Excel's autofilter function. 

There are also several blank columns available for other data associated with the address information in the template, such as name or telephone number.  These fields are filtered along with the provided zip codes and other address data.  After filtering, the results can be copied and pasted to a new Excel workbook; any hidden rows will not be copied to the new workbook.

As an example of how to use the template, we also offer a customized version which can identify nuclear facilities within a radius distance of a specified zip code.  In this case, we have provided (in the data entry area) zip code information for each nuclear facility located in the U.S.  As in the generic template, just enter a target zip code and radius distance, and only the nuclear facilities that fall within the specified radius will be displayed.

Both templates can be evaluated with the free demo version of CDXZipStream, and for longer-term use will work with the CDXZipStream Lite version.