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Getting french results from searchJSON web service  XML
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[Post New]25/04/2012 08:25:25
    Subject: Getting french results from searchJSON web service
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stdavis



Joined: 25/04/2012 08:08:09
Messages: 1
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I'm getting some US County names returning in French (Comte de...) even when specifying lang=en. It only happens when I do a name_startsWith=c. For example: [http://api.geonames.org/searchJSON?featureCode=PPL&featureCode=ADM2&username=demo&adminCode1=AL&maxRows=500&name_startsWith=c&lang=en]

Any ideas?
[Post New]29/04/2012 11:17:15
    Subject: Re:Getting french results from searchJSON web service
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marc



Joined: 08/12/2005 07:39:47
Messages: 4501
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it is actually a feature. The startsWith service is searching on all alternate names and returns a matching name even if it is a different language. Often it is legitimate to use a name of an other language, in particular in the native language. It would certainly be ok to return the French name of locations in French speaking countries.
I am now wondering whether it would make sense for the service to check the languages spoken in the area and only return a foreign name if it is natively spoken there.

Best

Marc
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