MapThat – OS Places API Searching

By David Crowther

The DynamicMaps Team at Cadline is pleased to announce that the latest version of the webGIS – MapThat – now allows you to search for UK Addresses using the OS Places API!

The new OS Places Search can be accessed from the search drop down in the top left of MapThat.

Note – you will need to provide your OS API Key to activate the OS Places Search.

The OS Places Search provides 3 search options: Address, Postcode and UPRN.

Address -

This allows you to search for addresses using a full or partial address. For example, typing Saltersford Road, will return addresses that contain the words Saltersford Road in the Full Address field.

Press OK and the search will return the result records.

If you scroll down the results page you will see more addresses in different postal towns with the same road name.

Using the Load More button will return more records.

Postcode –

The postcode search allows you to search by full or partial postcode values. For example, we have searched for all addresses matching the partial postcode – NG31.

Press OK and the search will return the result records.

If we update the search to a full postcode e.g. NG31 7HG.

Press OK and the search will return the result records. This time the list will be shorter as it will show all addresses matching the full postcode.

UPRN –

Finally, you can search using a full and Unique Reference Property Number (UPRN).

Press OK and the search will return the result records. This time the list will be the one address record that matches the UPRN value.

Both the search options and the search results can be configured by the MapThat Administrator.

Search Options –

In the MapThat Admin Forms, use the Page Settings and search for OS Places to find the configuration items for the OS Places Search.

OSPLACES_OPTIONS

Using the Value, you can add any of the three search items – Address, Postcode, UPRN – to define which search radio buttons the user has access to.

In the example above we have chosen only Address and Postcode, and when the OS Places Search is activated the user now only has the 2 search options.

Result Fields –

In the MapThat Admin Forms, use the Page Settings and search for OS Places to find the configuration items for the OS Places Search.

OSPLACES_FIELDS

Using the Value, you can list any number of result fields to tailor how the address records are shown in the results panel.

In the example below we have listed the following fields - BUILDING_NUMBER, THOROUGHFARE_NAME, POST_TOWN, POSTCODE, UPRN, CLASSIFICATION_CODE_DESCRIPTION, TOPOGRAPHY_LAYER_TOID

And the results therefore show the values for each of these fields.

In the example below we have now reduced the result fields to only - BUILDING_NUMBER, THOROUGHFARE_NAME, POST_TOWN, POSTCODE

And the result records now only list the reduced list of address fields.

Using the OSPLACES_FIELDS you can also change the order that result values are shown in the results. For example, changing the list to be - THOROUGHFARE_NAME, POST_TOWN, POSTCODE,BUILDING_NUMBER

… now re-orders the result fields so that building number is now shown last.

A full list of the address fields and example results are shown below:

• "UPRN":"15084691",
• "UDPRN":"16866765",
• "ADDRESS":"1, SANDHURST CLOSE, NORTHAMPTON, NN4 0DA",
• "BUILDING_NUMBER":"1",
• "THOROUGHFARE_NAME":"SANDHURST CLOSE",
• "POST_TOWN":"NORTHAMPTON",
• "POSTCODE":"NN4 0DA",
• "RPC":"2",
• "X_COORDINATE":474568,
• "Y_COORDINATE":257988,
• "LNG":-0.9099994,
• "LAT":52.2150709,
• "STATUS":"APPROVED",
• "LOGICAL_STATUS_CODE":"1",
• "CLASSIFICATION_CODE":"RD04",
• "CLASSIFICATION_CODE_DESCRIPTION":"Terraced",
• "LOCAL_CUSTODIAN_CODE":2845,
• "LOCAL_CUSTODIAN_CODE_DESCRIPTION":"WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE",
• "COUNTRY_CODE":"E",
• "COUNTRY_CODE_DESCRIPTION":"This record is within England",
• "POSTAL_ADDRESS_CODE":"D",
• "POSTAL_ADDRESS_CODE_DESCRIPTION":"A record which is linked to PAF",
• "BLPU_STATE_CODE":"2",
• "BLPU_STATE_CODE_DESCRIPTION":"In use",
• "TOPOGRAPHY_LAYER_TOID":"osgb1000017949016",
• "LAST_UPDATE_DATE":"29/09/2021",
• "ENTRY_DATE":"05/09/2000",
• "BLPU_STATE_DATE":"01/09/2021",
• "LANGUAGE":"EN",
• "MATCH":0.5984126984,
• "MATCH_DESCRIPTION":"NO MATCH",
• "DELIVERY_POINT_SUFFIX":"1A"