Using our Microsoft Excel add-in, CDXZipStream, it’s easy to find the zip codes within a radius distance of a target zip.  Just right-click on a worksheet cell, and using the function CDXRadius, input the target zip code and specified radius distance;  an array or text string listing the zip codes within the radius will be returned to the worksheet.  However, this only applies to a straight-line distance around the target.  What if you need zip codes within a specified driving distance or time?

CDXZipStream does not have a special function for this type of calculation, but you can use a combination of two functions, CDXRadius and CDXRouteMP, to easily get the desired result.  For example, let’s say we’re looking for the zip codes within a 20-mile driving distance of zip code 07869.  (We can also do this for driving time as well – we’ll talk about that case later in this article.)  The first step is to find the zip codes within a somewhat larger straight-line radius, using CDXRadius  For this example we’ll use 25 miles.  This will capture all the zip codes within the 20-mile driving radius, and then some.  So the input for CDXRadius is:

Once we have the returned list of zip codes from CDXRadius, we’ll use CDXRouteMP to calculate the driving distance between each of these zips and our target zip.  Again, we right-click on the worksheet, select CDXRouteMP, and use this following input to calculate the driving distance to 07869:

Note that the first returned zip code from CDXRadius (other than the target zip in the first row) is in worksheet cell A2.  We use this as the second address in the calculation, so when we copy the resulting formula it will apply to all zip codes in each row.  The formula we obtain from this is:

=CDXRouteMP(1,0,"07869",A2)

We can copy this formula all along the list in Column C to get all the driving distances for all zip codes.  Columns A and B show the zip codes and their straight-line distances from the target, as calculated by CDXRadius, and colums C is the calculated driving distance from CDXRouteMP.   The first few rows are shown here.

 

Now just use Excel’s sort or auto-filter to find zip codes within a 20-mile driving distance.  When using auto-filter, select a “Number Filter” of “Less than” 20 for column C, and only those rows with distances of 20 miles or less will be visible in the worksheet.

What if you want to find a radius based on driving time?  The process is very similar, but when using the CDXRadius function assume that the vehicle is travelling 90 miles an hour (or 1.5 miles per minute) to obtain the initial list of zip codes.  For a 30-minute driving time, this means the specified (straight-line) radius distance would be 1.5 x 30 or 45 miles.  You can then narrow down the list obtained from CDXRadius by using the CDXRouteMP function to calculate driving time:

As we did before, sort or auto-filter to obtain only those zip codes within a 30-minute driving time.

If you would like a map of the result, use CDXRadius to output a drive time map to the worksheet:

To see short tutorials about the functions CDXRouteMP and CDXDistance, please refer to the following:

Find Zip Codes in a Radius Using Excel

Driving Distance Calculator in Excel

 

There are currently eight versions of CDXZipStream, our Microsoft Excel add-in for zip code, address, and route analysis.  Due to the broad spectrum of functionality of CDXZipStream, we’ve purposely created these versions to allow our customers to pick and choose the one that best fits their needs.  With the release of CDXZipStream 11.0 late last year we’d like to provide in today’s blog an updated review of the functionality of each version, to help you decide which one is right for you.  You can also refer to this reference table for a shorthand comparison.

Note:  We also offer a Canadian postal code database which is compatible with most CDXZipStream functionality.  Please refer to this article for more information about accessing Canadian data with CDXZipstream, or our FAQ page.)

Here are the eight versions and what they can do, along with relevant video tutorials:

FindZip:  Contains basic zip code data, and can also perform reverse zip code lookups and create zip code lists by state (or province if you have also purchased the Canadian database), county (for the U.S. only), and city.  Basic zip code data covers city, county and state name, latitude and longitude, and region (one of four regions in the U.S. as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce.)

Reference:  Zip Code Finder in Excel

Lite:  Provides all the basic zip code information of the FindZip Version (basic data by zip code, reverse zip code lookup, and list generation) as well as zip code calculation functions:  it can calculate the distance between zip codes, find all zip codes within a radius distance of a central zip code, and find the closest zip code to a target zip. 

Reference:  Find Zip Codes in a Radius

MapPoint:  Provides all the basic zip code information of the FindZip Version (basic data by zip code, reverse zip code lookup, and list generation), but also has all the mapping and routing functions provided by Microsoft MapPoint, including creation of radius, location, drive time, and route maps, calculating driving time and distance, and route optimization.  It can also geocode (find latitude and longitude) for a location, and reverse geocode, as well as calculate the distance between two points of latitude and longitude.  In general, this CDXZipStream version is best suited for those requiring driving distance calculations, route optimization, and/or latitude and longitude determination.  Please note that CDXZipStream MapPoint requires separate purchase of Microsoft MapPoint, and is compatible with both North American and European versions.

Reference:  Driving Distance Calculator in Excel

Basic:  Contains all the functionality of Lite and MapPoint versions, including basic zip code data, the ability to perform reverse zip code lookups and create lists by state, as well as zip code calculation functions:  it can calculate the distance between zip codes, find all zip codes within a radius distance of a central zip, and find the closest zip to a target.  It also includes all mapping and routing functions, including creation of radius, location, drive time, and routing maps, calculating driving time and distance, and route optimization.  It can geocode (find latitude and longitude) for a location, and reverse geocode, as well as calculate the distance between points of latitude and longitude.  CDXZipStream Basic is primarily used by those who require both extensive zip code functionality as well as driving and routing calculations supplied by MapPoint.

CDXZipStream MapPoint requires separate purchase of Microsoft MapPoint, and is compatible with both North American and European versions.

Reference:  Driving Distance Calculator in Excel, Geocoder in Excel

The next four versions also include demographic data.  For a detailed description of the data available in these versions, please refer to data fields information.

Population:  Contains basic zip code data, and can also perform reverse zip code lookups and create zip code lists by state (or province if you have also purchased the Canadian database), county (for the U.S. only), and city.  Basic zip code data covers city, county and state name, latitude and longitude, and region (one of four regions in the U.S. as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce.)   Population counts from the 2000 Census and current population estimates are also covered.

Demographics:  Contains basic zip code data, and can also perform reverse zip code lookups and create zip code lists by state (or province if you have also purchased the Canadian database), county (for the U.S. only), and city.  Basic zip code data covers city, county and state name, latitude and longitude, and region (one of four regions in the U.S. as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce.)   Demographic data included are population counts from the 2000 Census and current population estimates, as well as premium zip code data from sources such as the 2010 Census, 2009 Business Census, and the U.S. Postal Service.

Reference:  Demographic Data in Excel

Premium:  Contains all the functionality of Lite and MapPoint versions, including basic zip code data, the ability to perform reverse zip code lookups and create lists by state, as well as zip code calculation functions:  it can calculate the distance between zip codes, find all zip codes within a radius distance of a central zip, and find the closest zip to a target.  It also includes all mapping and routing functions, including creation of radius, location, drive time, and routing maps, calculating driving time and distance, and route optimization.  It can geocode (find latitude and longitude) for a location, and reverse geocode, as well as calculate the distance between points of latitude and longitude.  Demographic data included are population counts from the 2000 Census and current population estimates, as well as premium zip code data from sources such as the 2010 Census, 2009 Business Census, and the U.S. Postal Service.  Additional data feeds include demographics by area code, city, county, state, and CBSA (Core Based Statistical Area), and an extensive demographic feeds of social and economic variables from the 2000 and 2010 Census.

This version, when used for driving distance calculations and route optimization, requires separate purchase of Microsoft MapPoint, and is compatible with both North American and European versions.

Premium ACS:  Contains all the functionality and data of the Premium version, plus demographic data from the American Community Survey.  Covers basic zip code data, the ability to perform reverse zip code lookups and create lists by state, as well as zip code calculation functions:  it can calculate the distance between zip codes, find all zip codes within a radius distance of a central zip, and find the closest zip to a target.  It also includes all mapping and routing functions, including creation of radius, location, drive time, and routing maps, calculating driving time and distance, and route optimization.  It can geocode (find latitude and longitude) for a location, and reverse geocode, as well as calculate the distance between points of latitude and longitude.  Demographic data included are population counts from the 2000 Census and current population estimates, as well as premium zip code data from sources such as the 2010 Census, 2009 Business Census, and the U.S. Postal Service.  Additional data feeds include demographics by area code, city, county, state, and CBSA (Core Based Statistical Area), and an extensive demographic feeds of social and economic variables from the 2000 and 2010 Census.  Finally, 5-year aggregated data from the annual American Community Survey is provided in data feeds by city (place), county, state, and Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA).   Note that the ACS is administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, and replaces the old long form that was phased out after the 2000 Census.  It contains earnings data and other social and economic information that are not currently covered by the 10-year census. 

This version, when used for driving distance calculations and route optimization, requires separate purchase of Microsoft MapPoint, and is compatible with both North American and European versions.

Reference:  Census Records in Microsoft Excel

 

 

In the past we’ve mentioned customization services for our Microsoft Excel add-in CDXZipStream, and we’d like to take the opportunity here to discuss some examples of how customization may help better support your business needs around address, zip code, and data analysis in general. 

Do a One-Time Analysis:  

Need to use CDXZipStream functionality just once?  If you are not interested in purchasing the software for continuing use, we can provide the hard data that fills your specific need.  This is often an economically attractive alternative, particularly in lieu of the more expensive demographic versions of CDXZipStream.     

Get a Custom Excel Template:  

We can build pre-formatted templates that perform specific tasks around existing CDXZipStream functions, often combining multiple functions from CDXZipStream and Excel to get the final required answer.  Tasks can usually be fully automated so that after data entry, a simple click of a button is all that’s required of the user.  We currently offer free, downloadable templates that perform basic analyses, such as geocoding (getting latitude/longitude data), route optimization, radius analysis, and more.  But if you have a more complex task, consider a customized template.  This is also a great option if you need to standardize CDXZipStream applications for less experienced Excel users.

Please refer to the following tutorials to see our standard templates in action.  We can modify any of these templates to fit your particular needs:

- Route Optimization with One Click

- Driving Distance and Time Calculations in an Excel Template

- Driving Distance and Time for a Matrix of Addresses

- Zip Code Radius Analsysis in an Excel Template

- Get Latitude and Longitude for Addresses in Excel

- Reverse Geocode Template for Microsoft Excel

Apply CDXZipStream Beyond Excel:  

We’ve reviewed in a past blog post the basic programming code that allows CDXZipStream to be applied to other Office applications beyond Excel.  This code is not proprietary and we invite our clients to use it as they please.   Not into programming?  Let us do it for you, and get CDXZipStream functionality, ranging from route optimization to radius analysis, exactly where you need it.

Use CDXZipStream with a Custom DataBase:

We’ve designed CDXZipStream around the use of address, zip code, and demographic data, but the concept of selectively taking data from a local database and putting it in Excel with custom functions can be applied to a wide variety of data needs.  Whether you have a private database you would like to use more efficiently through a spreadsheet platform, or want to mine a commercially available set of data that we don’t currently include in our own feeds, we can build a version of CDXZipStream that will work for you, using our patented interface.  Some types of custom databases include:

- Commercial address or postal code databases for countries other than the U.S. or Canada

- Census data for specialized demographics not now included in CDXZipStream

- Proprietary customer data

- Demographics by other geographies, such as voting districts, school districts, urban growth areas, etc.

For more information about CDXZipStream customization, or to request a free quote, contact us at 1-877-CDX-TEC1 (239-8312) or customsolutions@CDXTech.com.

 

 

 

CDXZipStream, our Microsoft Excel add-in that performs zip code, address, and routing analysis, now offers a Canadian postal code database that works with a number of CDXZipStream functions.  Once you’ve purchased the Canadian data, here’s how it can be used:

(Note:  All of the functions here are accessed by right-clicking on any worksheet cell, and selecting “CDXZipStream functions” from the drop-down menu.  Then select the specific function you would like to insert into the worksheet.   You also have the option to manually input these functions directly into the worksheet cells, using the formulas illustrated below.)

CDXDistance finds the straight-line distance between any two zip codes or postal codes.  Just input the zip code or postal codes of interest (alternatively, you can input the worksheet cell addresses of the codes) and click OK. 

 

 

The resulting formula will be input to the worksheet:  =CDXDistance (“T0K 0A9”, “L4Y 1Z8”), and display the value 1576.836 miles.   If you use a cell address you can also copy the formula (e.g. =CDXDistance (A1,B1)) to a list of codes, to calculate distances between multiple pairs.

CDXFindZip is a lookup function for zip and postal codes.   Need to find all the zip codes for Vancouver, British Columbia?   If you’ve purchased the Canadian database, you have the option of selecting either a state or province in the first drop-down box:

 

After selecting the desired city and clicking OK, the resulting formula will be input to the worksheet:  =CDXFindZip("Vancouver","British Columbia"), and all the postal codes will be displayed as a long text string in the format “Code1 | Code2 | Code3 | … “  You can also manually input the formula into a worksheet cell, and if you use cell addresses (e.g. =CDXFindZip (A1, B1)) for the city and province pair, you can copy this formula to apply it to a long list of data.

For a short tutorial on how to use CDXFindZip, please view the video “Zip Code Finder in Excel.”

CDXZipList finds all the zip codes for a U.S. State or Canadian province, U.S. county, or city.  The output can be provided as a single text string (as in CDXFindZip) or an Excel array formula.  The associated city, county, state or province can also be specified as part of the output. 

For a short tutorial on how to use CDXZipList, please view the video “Zip Code Lists in Microsoft Excel.”

If you would like to see how to obtain an array output from CDXZipList for large sets of data, please see our blog “Applying CDXZipStream Arrays to Large Sets of Data.”

CDXRadius finds the list of zip or postal codes within a specified radius area of a target zip or postal code.  Just input the target code, specify the radius area and output options, and whether you want to search either the U.S. or Canadian databases, or both.

If you are working with codes that are close to the U.S./Canadian border, select the “US and Canada” option under the database dropdown list to capture both zip and postal codes within the radius area.  Keep in mind this will slow down the function a bit since it’s searching a much larger set of data;  you also have the option of selecting just “United State” or “Canada” to keep the radius analysis within the country of interest.

If you would like to see how to obtain an array output from CDXRadius for large sets of data, please see our blog “Applying CDXZipStream Arrays to Large Sets of Data.”

CDXClosestZip finds the closest zip or postal code to a target code, especially useful in cases where the closest store location for a customer must be found.  First, specify a customer code and then the Excel range containing the zip or postal codes for every store. 

CDXClosestZip then returns the nearest store code or the distance from the customer. 

You can copy the resulting formula down a long list of customers to determine the closest store for each.  For a short tutorial on how to use CDXClosestZip, please view the video “Zip Code Distance Function in Microsoft Excel.”

Also note, that since the CDXLocateMP and CDXRouteMP functions use the database available through Microsoft MapPoint, these are unaffected by the addition of the Canadian postal code database.  Since the North American version of MapPoint encompasses the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the geocoding, address verification and routing capabilities of these functions will continue to cover these areas through the data available in MapPoint.

We’ve had a few customer questions lately about how to get zip code radius data for long lists of zip codes.  For example, let’s say you have a list of zip codes and you need the zip codes located within a 10 mile radius of each one.  This can be accomplished quite easily in Microsoft Excel using the CDXZipStream function CDXRadius.

In this example the list of zip codes starts in cell A1 in of a Microsoft  Excel worksheet.   Just  right-click on cell B1, select “CDXZipStream Functions”, then “Insert CDXRadius Function”, and use the following inputs:

Note that for the first zip code the cell location “A1” is used.  The resulting output in cell B1 is a long text string listing all the zip codes, along with their distance from the center, within the 15 mile radius of zip code 10451.  Each zip code and distance pair are separated by a vertical bar “|”:

 

You can now just copy and paste the formula from cell B1 down column B, all along the list of zip codes listed in column A.

In some cases it is preferable to only include zip codes listed as a string, and exclude the distance data.  We offer a free Excel template that does this automatically, and can be downloaded here.  You must enable macros when using this template.  Another approach is to use Excel formulas to parse the returned string so that the zip codes are shown in individual cells (without the distance data). To do this for the example above, use the following formulas:

In cell C1:  =MID($B1,FIND("|",$B1,1)+1,5)              

- The resulting output will be 10451

In cell D1: =MID($B1,FIND("|",$B1,FIND(C1,$B1))+1,5)                  

 - The resulting output will be 10499

You can then copy the formula from cell D1 along more columns to extract the rest of the zip codes from cell B1.  Repeat for all the rows of zip code data.

Note that the CDXRadius function now works with Canadian postal codes, as well as U.S. zip codes.   If you are working with codes that are close to the U.S./Canadian border, select the “US and Canada” option under the database dropdown list to capture both zip and postal codes within the radius area.  Keep in mind this will slow down the function a bit since it’s searching a much larger set of data;  you also have the option of selecting just “United States” or “Canada” to keep the radius analysis within the country of interest.

 

If you've ever hesitated with indecision when the dessert cart comes around, we know how you feel.  Choice is a good thing when it comes to the sweet things in life, but sometimes a little help is needed to make the right decision.  We especially believe that having a choice is a good thing when it comes to software, and so we've always offered CDXZipStream in several versions to provide our clients with the functionality that best suits their needs.  Now with eight different versions and a wide (and growing) range of capabilities, we thought it would be a good idea to review in detail the functionality of the most popular versions, as an aid to current and future clients as they purchase and upgrade their software. (Note:  Pricing information for both new purchases and upgrades is available here, with discounts available for multiple licenses.  And remember, all versions of CDXZipStream come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so don't worry, you can send back that cherry tart after taking a bite ...)

CDXZipStream Lite 

- Provides basic demographic data by zip code

  (Data feed is CDXZipCode (Basic). See here for specific data fields for this feed.)

- Creates zip code lists by state, county, and city

- Performs reverse zip code lookup (finds the city and state for a zip code)

- Calculates the straight-line (as the crow flies) distance between zip codes

- Lists all zip codes within a radius area

- Finds the closest zip code to a target zip

CDXZipStream Basic 

Does everything the Lite version does, and contains additional functionality provided by Microsoft MapPoint.

- Provides basic demographic data by zip code

  (Data feed is CDXZipCode (Basic).  See here for specific data fields for this feed.)

- Creates zip code lists by state, county, and city

- Performs reverse zip code lookup (finds the city and state for a zip code)

- Calculates the straight-line (as the crow flies) distance between zip codes

- Lists all zip codes within a radius area

- Finds the closest zip code to a target zip

When used in conjunction with Microsoft MapPoint, CDXZipStream Basic:

- Calculates driving distance, driving time, and driving cost between addresses

- Verifies the accuracy of address information

- Optimizes the order of stops on a driving route (route optimization)

- Finds the latitude and longitude of an address

- Finds the closest address for a given latitude and longitude

- Calculates the straight-line distance between points of latitude and longitude

- Creates radius, route, and location maps

CDXZipStream Premium

Does everything the Basic version does, and contains extensive demographic data.

- Provides basic demographic data by zip code, city, county, area code, CBSA, and state

  (Data feeds are CDXZipCode (Premium), CDXCity, CDXCounty, CDXAreaCode, CDXCBSA, CDXState, CDXCensus, and CDXCensus2.   See here for specific data fields for    these feeds.)

- Creates zip code lists by state, county, and city

- Performs reverse zip code lookup (finds the city and state for a zip code)

- Calculates the straight-line (as the crow flies) distance between zip codes

- Lists all zip codes within a radius area

- Finds the closest zip code to a target zip

When used in conjunction with Microsoft MapPoint, CDXZipStream Premium:

- Calculates driving distance, driving time, and driving cost between addresses

- Verifies the accuracy of address information

- Optimizes the order of stops on a driving route (route optimization)

- Finds the latitude and longitude of an address

- Finds the closest address for a given latitude and longitude

- Calculates the straight-line distance between points of latitude and longitude

- Creates radius, route, and location maps

CDXZipStream Premium ACS

Does everything the Premium version does, and contains demographic data from the latest American Community Survey.

- Provides extensive demographic data by zip code, city, county, area code, CBSA, and state, from the American Community Survey, 2000 Census, latest Business Census,    and other sources.  (Data feeds are CDXZipCode (Premium), CDXCity, CDXCounty, CDXAreaCode, CDXCBSA,  CDXState, CDXCensus, CDXCensus2, CDXACSCBSA,    CDXACSCounty, CDXACSPlace, and CDXACSState   See here for specific data fields for these feeds.)

- Creates zip code lists by state, county, and city

- Performs reverse zip code lookup (finds the city and state for a zip code)

- Calculates the straight-line (as the crow flies) distance between zip codes

- Lists all zip codes within a radius area

- Finds the closest zip code to a target zip

When used in conjunction with Microsoft MapPoint, CDXZipStream Premium ACS:

- Calculates driving distance, driving time, and driving cost between addresses

- Verifies the accuracy of address information

- Optimizes the order of stops on a driving route (route optimization)

- Finds the latitude and longitude of an address

- Finds the closest address for a given latitude and longitude

- Calculates the straight-line distance between points of latitude and longitude

- Creates radius, route, and location maps

Our Excel add-in CDXZipStream can return zip code radius and list data in the form of an Microsoft Excel array. An array is a group of related values that each occupy its own worksheet cell in an Excel worksheet.  It's often desirable to use arrays in cases where the returned data is too large for single worksheet cell.  We're going to review here how you can apply CDXZipStream arrays to large data sets.  This information applies to the right-click functions CDXRadius and CDXZipList, both of which allow the user to specify arrays as the output.

Let's say we're interested in finding all the zip codes within a 100 mile radius of target zip code 08033.  We can use the right-click function CDXRadius, with the following input:

The returned data is in an array two columns wide, showing both the zip codes within the radius in the first column, along with its distance in miles from 08033 in the second column.  Here's what the first few rows of the array look like:

If you click on any individual cell within the array, the formula is: {=CDXRadius("08033",50)}.  The custom function formula is surrounded by "curly" brackets indicating it is part of an array.  Note that the array acts as a single entity, such that you can't change or delete only part of the array; the array must be deleted in its entirety.

But what if we need to find zip codes within a 50 miles radius for a list of target zip codes?  It's possible to copy and paste the array to easily apply it to more than one target zip – here's how:

1.  Input the first zip code in cell A1 of a worksheet.

 2.  Right-click on cell A2, and select "Insert CDXRadius Function".

 3.  Use these inputs:

     Zip Code: A1

     Radius: 1000 (this will be changed later)

     Distance Unit:  distance in miles

     Result Out:  Array Formula

     Maximum Rows: 10000

4.  When you click OK, an array will be returned for the first zip code.   We purposely made this an extra large array with a 1000 mile radius, so when we copy and paste it for other zip codes we will be sure to have an array large enough to capture all the returned zips.  

5.  Now with the first array highlighted, use Excel's find and replace function to replace all "1000" values with "50" (while leaving out the quotation marks). 

6.  This array can now be copied and pasted immediately below any zip code to find the list of zip codes within 50 miles. 

You may want to experiment a bit with the size of the first array, by changing the radius distance or the number of maximum rows.  Just make sure it is large enough to capture all the data you need for subsequent target zips.

You can copy and paste the array manually, or record an Excel macro that can automate this process for you.  To prevent Excel from slowing down due to the large number of array formulas, just remember to occasionally copy and "paste special" the arrays as values as you proceed.

Even beyond their use in CDXZipStream, arrays can be powerful calculational tools for your worksheeets. For more general information about using Excel arrays, please check out the Microsoft website.

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!