GeoNames Forum

Hi Mark,

maybe this question has been asked to you hundred times, but I couldn't find any answers in the forum topics.

I made the following request :

[url]
http://ws.geonames.org/postalCodeSearch?maxRows=10&country=FR&postalcode=57590&placename=Delme
[/url]

and the result is :

Code:

 <geonames>
 <totalResultsCount>1</totalResultsCount>
 −
 <code>
 <postalcode>57590</postalcode>
 <name>Delme</name>
 <countryCode>FR</countryCode>
 <lat>48.8833333</lat>
 <lng>6.4</lng>
 <adminCode1>M</adminCode1>
 <adminName1>Lorraine</adminName1>
 <adminCode2>57</adminCode2>
 <adminName2>MOSELLE</adminName2>
 <adminCode3>57171</adminCode3>
 <adminName3/>
 </code>
 </geonames>

First, I noticed that adminCode1 is in a fips format but in iso one in the dump.

Then I made another request :

[url]
http://ws.geonames.org/search?maxRows=10&featureCode=PPL&country=FR&q=Delme&adminCode1=B2&adminCode2=57&maxRows=10&style=LONG&lang=fr
[/url]

The result is :

Code:

 <geonames style="LONG">
 <totalResultsCount>1</totalResultsCount>
 −
 <geoname>
 <name>Delme</name>
 <lat>48.8833333</lat>
 <lng>6.4</lng>
 <geonameId>3021626</geonameId>
 <countryCode>FR</countryCode>
 <countryName>France</countryName>
 <fcl>P</fcl>
 <fcode>PPL</fcode>
 <fclName>city, village,...</fclName>
 <fcodeName>populated place</fcodeName>
 <population>754</population>
 </geoname>
 </geonames>

Then I request in the database for the geonames id returned :3021626
admin1_code is B2 (iso)
admin2_code is 57
admin3_code is 572
admin4_code is 57171

Why in the postal Code Search admin3_code is 57171 (which is the admin_code 4 in the database?)

I'm also wondering why the admin1_code format is ISO in the dump and FIPS in the ws result ?

Thank you by advance

Fred

P.S : I have another question. If I notice a (noticeable) difference between geonames and googlemaps about the lat and lng coords for the same place, should I rely on the google one and make the change in geonames, or just send you the case for information ?

Hi Fred

The postal code database and the normal GeoNames place name database are two different datasets. We are working on merging them, but as you see your self there are quite some differences and as usuayl the devil is in the details.

Marc