How can I get Yahoo Geocodes into Access?

I want to get a list of geocodes into my address database using Yahoo's
geocoding service.

I have the database.
I have the Yahoo geo
I have the username for the geocoding service
I even have an Excel spreadsheet that will do exactly what I want to do with
Excel VBA Macros

but I can't figure out how to 'convert' the excel rows looping into my
Access recordset. There's more that I can't figure out, but that gives you an
outline of exactly where I am at the moment, which I guess is at the foot of
the mountain...

I have tried to get my head around the Excel VBA (which looks seductively
simple...) but just get brain freeze when I try and 'frame' the whole thing
in my mind

any help or guidance would be gratefully appreciated.

( I can paste the Excel VBA, but didn't want to just 'dump' it here without
putting out the question first.)

thanks in advance

Eric

Hi Eric,

I'm not familiar with Yahoo's Geocodes but, if you can post a copy of an
Excel file that has the data in it that you want to bring into Access, then
perhaps I or someone else can assist you further. Do you have a personal web
space available at your ISP, to upload a small .xls file?


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

I want to get a list of geocodes into my address database using Yahoo's
geocoding service.

I have the database.
I have the Yahoo geo
I have the username for the geocoding service
I even have an Excel spreadsheet that will do exactly what I want to do with
Excel VBA Macros

but I can't figure out how to 'convert' the excel rows looping into my
Access recordset. There's more that I can't figure out, but that gives you an
outline of exactly where I am at the moment, which I guess is at the foot of
the mountain...

I have tried to get my head around the Excel VBA (which looks seductively
simple...) but just get brain freeze when I try and 'frame' the whole thing
in my mind

any help or guidance would be gratefully appreciated.

( I can paste the Excel VBA, but didn't want to just 'dump' it here without
putting out the question first.)

thanks in advance

Eric

Tom,

Try this:
http://media.juiceanalytics.com/down...ool%20v3.1.xls

regards

Eric




"Tom Wickerath" wrote:

Hi Eric,

I'm not familiar with Yahoo's Geocodes but, if you can post a copy of an
Excel file that has the data in it that you want to bring into Access, then
perhaps I or someone else can assist you further. Do you have a personal web
space available at your ISP, to upload a small .xls file?


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

I want to get a list of geocodes into my address database using Yahoo's
geocoding service.

I have the database.
I have the Yahoo geo
I have the username for the geocoding service
I even have an Excel spreadsheet that will do exactly what I want to do with
Excel VBA Macros

but I can't figure out how to 'convert' the excel rows looping into my
Access recordset. There's more that I can't figure out, but that gives you an
outline of exactly where I am at the moment, which I guess is at the foot of
the mountain...

I have tried to get my head around the Excel VBA (which looks seductively
simple...) but just get brain freeze when I try and 'frame' the whole thing
in my mind

any help or guidance would be gratefully appreciated.

( I can paste the Excel VBA, but didn't want to just 'dump' it here without
putting out the question first.)

thanks in advance

Eric

What I want to do is:

1. pull a set of addresses from a query
2. geocode them with Yahoo's geocoder
3. write the Lat and Lon back to the respective records within the table.

at the moment, the spreadsheet works on excel rows; but I want to
'translate' that action into Access records (fields).

regards
Eric




"efandango" wrote:

Tom,

Try this:
http://media.juiceanalytics.com/down...ool%20v3.1.xls

regards

Eric




"Tom Wickerath" wrote:

Hi Eric,

I'm not familiar with Yahoo's Geocodes but, if you can post a copy of an
Excel file that has the data in it that you want to bring into Access, then
perhaps I or someone else can assist you further. Do you have a personal web
space available at your ISP, to upload a small .xls file?


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

I want to get a list of geocodes into my address database using Yahoo's
geocoding service.

I have the database.
I have the Yahoo geo
I have the username for the geocoding service
I even have an Excel spreadsheet that will do exactly what I want to do with
Excel VBA Macros

but I can't figure out how to 'convert' the excel rows looping into my
Access recordset. There's more that I can't figure out, but that gives you an
outline of exactly where I am at the moment, which I guess is at the foot of
the mountain...

I have tried to get my head around the Excel VBA (which looks seductively
simple...) but just get brain freeze when I try and 'frame' the whole thing
in my mind

any help or guidance would be gratefully appreciated.

( I can paste the Excel VBA, but didn't want to just 'dump' it here without
putting out the question first.)

thanks in advance

Eric

Hi Eric,

I downloaded the spreadsheet file, but there are no latitude and longitude
values shown in cells A6:B8, for your three test records. I attempted to
click on "Geocode all rows", but I get prompted for a Yahoo ID that I do not
have.

However, if you are seeing valid latitude and longitude values in your copy
of the spreadsheet, then you should be able to easily get these values into
your Access table. I highly recommend that when you export your query in
Access, to create the spreadsheet that needs the latitude and longitude
values looked up, that you include the primary key field for the table in
question. If your table does not currently include a primary key field, then
add a new field (perhaps name it pkCustomer or whatever looks reasonable).
This can simply be an autonumber data type.

After retrieving your latitude and longitude data, I would create a named
range within the Excel spreadsheet, which includes the four fields: Latitude,
Longitude, Precision (if you care about this field), and pkCustomer. Are you
familiar with the process of selecting rectangular blocks of data within
Excel, in order to create named ranges? Working with named ranges helps to
ensure that you only get exactly what you want to get, and nothing more.

Now, you simply need an UPDATE query, to update your existing records.
Create a linked table to the named range in your Excel spreadsheet. Create a
new query. Select your existing table that needs to be updated, along with
the linked Excel file. Drag a join line between the two primary key fields,
to prevent a cartesian product query result. Add appropriate criteria for the
table in your database, so that only records that need to be updated are
included in the resulting recordset. This might include, for example, using
an Is Null criteria for the Latitude or Longitude fields (make it an OR so
that records with either null Latitude or null Longitude [or both] are
included in your recordset. When you get this SELECT query returning the
desired records, convert it to an UPDATE query (Query | Update Query, if you
are using Access 2003 or lesser version). You should see a new Update To row
in the QBE (Query By Example) grid. Type in the fully qualified names of the
fields from your linked table (a fully qualified name includes the name of
the table plus the name of the field, so try to use a short name for your
linked table). For example:

Field Name: Latitude
Update To: [MyExcel].[Latitude]
Criteria: Is Null

Field Name: Longitude
Update To: [MyExcel].[Longitude]
Criteria: Is Null

Does this help?


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

What I want to do is:

1. pull a set of addresses from a query
2. geocode them with Yahoo's geocoder
3. write the Lat and Lon back to the respective records within the table.

at the moment, the spreadsheet works on excel rows; but I want to
'translate' that action into Access records (fields).

regards
Eric

PS. Regarding the Is Null criteria I suggested, you really don't need this
for the Update query, since an Inner Join line between your table and the
linked range in your Excel file should be sufficient to select only the
records intended for updating. However, you may wish to include the Is Null
criteria such that any records with a null latitude OR null longitude are
included in your initial SELECT query, which is used to populate the Excel
spreadsheet.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html

Tom,

I think I have not explained myself clearly enough, and fear that you have
been unintentionaly misled. I don't want to import the data from Excel.

Instead I want to replicate the actual VBA procedure 'engine' that exists
within the Excel spreadsheet into an MS Access VBA 'engine', mainly centering
around the excel 'geocoderAddressLookup' procedure. I don't need any of the
other stuff in there such as the address cleaning procedure because my Access
data is clean and ready to go. I already have my tables/queries set up in
Access, I just need someone to tell me how to re-engineer the bit where excel
looks at rows of addresses and parses them to yahoo, end then brings them
back into excel as geocodes. My Access version would do the same, only it
would instead of addressing rows like excel, it would instead address
records.

Does that make sense?

regards

Eric






"Tom Wickerath" wrote:

Hi Eric,

I downloaded the spreadsheet file, but there are no latitude and longitude
values shown in cells A6:B8, for your three test records. I attempted to
click on "Geocode all rows", but I get prompted for a Yahoo ID that I do not
have.

However, if you are seeing valid latitude and longitude values in your copy
of the spreadsheet, then you should be able to easily get these values into
your Access table. I highly recommend that when you export your query in
Access, to create the spreadsheet that needs the latitude and longitude
values looked up, that you include the primary key field for the table in
question. If your table does not currently include a primary key field, then
add a new field (perhaps name it pkCustomer or whatever looks reasonable).
This can simply be an autonumber data type.

After retrieving your latitude and longitude data, I would create a named
range within the Excel spreadsheet, which includes the four fields: Latitude,
Longitude, Precision (if you care about this field), and pkCustomer. Are you
familiar with the process of selecting rectangular blocks of data within
Excel, in order to create named ranges? Working with named ranges helps to
ensure that you only get exactly what you want to get, and nothing more.

Now, you simply need an UPDATE query, to update your existing records.
Create a linked table to the named range in your Excel spreadsheet. Create a
new query. Select your existing table that needs to be updated, along with
the linked Excel file. Drag a join line between the two primary key fields,
to prevent a cartesian product query result. Add appropriate criteria for the
table in your database, so that only records that need to be updated are
included in the resulting recordset. This might include, for example, using
an Is Null criteria for the Latitude or Longitude fields (make it an OR so
that records with either null Latitude or null Longitude [or both] are
included in your recordset. When you get this SELECT query returning the
desired records, convert it to an UPDATE query (Query | Update Query, if you
are using Access 2003 or lesser version). You should see a new Update To row
in the QBE (Query By Example) grid. Type in the fully qualified names of the
fields from your linked table (a fully qualified name includes the name of
the table plus the name of the field, so try to use a short name for your
linked table). For example:

Field Name: Latitude
Update To: [MyExcel].[Latitude]
Criteria: Is Null

Field Name: Longitude
Update To: [MyExcel].[Longitude]
Criteria: Is Null

Does this help?


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

What I want to do is:

1. pull a set of addresses from a query
2. geocode them with Yahoo's geocoder
3. write the Lat and Lon back to the respective records within the table.

at the moment, the spreadsheet works on excel rows; but I want to
'translate' that action into Access records (fields).

regards
Eric

Tom,

These are the main procedures within the Excel macro.

GEOCODING is done using the following layers

geocodeSelectedRows
(for each row call geocodeRow)

geocodeRow(r)
(check that row is geocodable, pass to geocode, parse results)

geocode(street,city,state,zip)
(clean all variables, pass url to geocoderAddressLookup,
if no result then try different permuatations of address)

geocoderAddressLookup
(query geocoder.us, return result, marshal results)

As I see it, I only really need to somehow convert one of them:

geocoderAddressLookup (with the functionality of 'geocodeSelectedRows')




"Tom Wickerath" wrote:

PS. Regarding the Is Null criteria I suggested, you really don't need this
for the Update query, since an Inner Join line between your table and the
linked range in your Excel file should be sufficient to select only the
records intended for updating. However, you may wish to include the Is Null
criteria such that any records with a null latitude OR null longitude are
included in your initial SELECT query, which is used to populate the Excel
spreadsheet.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html

Hi Eric,

Yes, I did misunderstand. I thought you wanted to use the application, as
is, to export your address data to the existing Excel spreadsheet, get the
latitude and longitude data, and then bring this data back into your Access
application. I don't know if it is even possible to use the same, or a
modified version, of this code in your Access application. And, I don't have
the time or energy to try to pursue that effort. Sorry.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

Tom,

I think I have not explained myself clearly enough, and fear that you have
been unintentionaly misled. I don't want to import the data from Excel.

Instead I want to replicate the actual VBA procedure 'engine' that exists
within the Excel spreadsheet into an MS Access VBA 'engine', mainly centering
around the excel 'geocoderAddressLookup' procedure. I don't need any of the
other stuff in there such as the address cleaning procedure because my Access
data is clean and ready to go. I already have my tables/queries set up in
Access, I just need someone to tell me how to re-engineer the bit where excel
looks at rows of addresses and parses them to yahoo, end then brings them
back into excel as geocodes. My Access version would do the same, only it
would instead of addressing rows like excel, it would instead address
records.

Does that make sense?

regards

Eric

ok,

in my naivety i assumed it would not be too difficult, thanks for taking the
time to look at this for me.

regards

Eric



"Tom Wickerath" wrote:

Hi Eric,

Yes, I did misunderstand. I thought you wanted to use the application, as
is, to export your address data to the existing Excel spreadsheet, get the
latitude and longitude data, and then bring this data back into your Access
application. I don't know if it is even possible to use the same, or a
modified version, of this code in your Access application. And, I don't have
the time or energy to try to pursue that effort. Sorry.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/ex...tributors.html
__________________________________________

"efandango" wrote:

Tom,

I think I have not explained myself clearly enough, and fear that you have
been unintentionaly misled. I don't want to import the data from Excel.

Instead I want to replicate the actual VBA procedure 'engine' that exists
within the Excel spreadsheet into an MS Access VBA 'engine', mainly centering
around the excel 'geocoderAddressLookup' procedure. I don't need any of the
other stuff in there such as the address cleaning procedure because my Access
data is clean and ready to go. I already have my tables/queries set up in
Access, I just need someone to tell me how to re-engineer the bit where excel
looks at rows of addresses and parses them to yahoo, end then brings them
back into excel as geocodes. My Access version would do the same, only it
would instead of addressing rows like excel, it would instead address
records.

Does that make sense?

regards

Eric