Advanced Geocoding Topics

Abstract

In this chapter, you’ll learn the basics of creating your own geocoding service. There are geocoding services already available for all sorts of data, and we covered many of them in Chapter 4. This chapter is intended for professionals and serious hobbyists who are building web applications where using third-party geocoding tools is not feasible due to cost, rate limiting, or terms of service. In these cases, developers often have no choice but to resort to getting dirty and becoming familiar with the original sources of data to do it themselves. If this describes you, then grab a pencil and paper, put on your thinking cap, and read on. We’re about to get messy.