Java Glossary : postal code

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Canada's equivalent to the Zip code. A typical postal code is V3M 5T9, starting with a letter and alternating letters and digits. The first three characters are called the FSA (Forward Sortation Area) and the last three the LDU (Local Delivery Unit). Letters A-Z are allowed except DFIOQU. In addition, W and Z are not allowed in the first position. Unfortunately, there are no freely available tables of valid postal codes, though there is plenty of proprietary software for looking up addresses to get the postal code.

I have yet to find any lookup or validation software with a suitable interface to allow it to be seamlessly integrated into custom software. I have been repeatedly screwed in the ear by vendors promising such an interface if I would buy the product, then not delivering. You end up cutting and pasting to a separate application both to supply the address and to get the resulting postal code -- very clumsy. The post office has an online lookup service. That is probably your best bet for seamless integration.

Digimap offers a list of the legal FSAs in a text file for $500.00 CAD This can be used for data validation, but not automatic postal code lookup.

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