USPS AMS API anyone?

[Adrian Madrid]

Has anybody worked with the USPS AMS API (Address Matching System
Application Programming Interface) before?

My objective is to verify addresses using the USPS DB and although
there are existing ruby libs for that I have two problems: I am not
directly shipping so contractually I cannot access the online API and
it is for commercial purposes so I cannot use/hack the online form. In
short, we have to pay for the bimonthly CDs with updates and access a
C based API.

So I am wondering, has anybody worked with this local API before?
Anybody interested in creating a Ruby API to access this data? If I
can't find code already out there we could pay somebody to work on the
code and release it (after checking copyrights and all).

Thanks,

--
Adrian Esteban Madrid

[Carl Youngblood]

I actually tried to license the CDs but they would not license them to
us. I just wanted to use it to make sure our addresses were valid,
but they told me that "database cleansing" was not one of the
licensable applications for the API.

So I haven't yet used the API. Let me know if you end up working that
out with them. I was frustrated with how much time and effort they
spent on an API only to release it on CD rather than make it available
online, and then to put so many restrictions on who can license it.
Very backwards if you ask me.

Carl

[Nick Barker]

Is this a new interface? I know OSCommerce using PHP has a USPS link.
Maybe you can use that to create a link to USPS.

[Adrian Madrid]

Nick,

Thanks for the tip. I'll check out Oscommerce but I'm quite sure it
uses the online API which is great (I have used it already on a
modified ruby lib) but USPS does not let you access that API unless
you are yourself sending a package through them. For this project I
need to verify addresses and relay the data to our client who in turn
will send the packages through USPS. I have tried to explain that to
USPS to no avail. So I'm stuck using the bimonthly cdroms.

Thanks again,

Adrian Madrid

--
Adrian Esteban Madrid

[Adrian Madrid]

Carl,

Funny thing is I tried to use the online API and they told me the same
thing that they told you (no database cleansing) but that I could get
a license for the CDs instead. Are they for real? It doesn't make any
sense. I am including their response to my request for the online API:

> Dear USPS Customer,
>
> Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately the Address API's can only be used in conjunction with USPS Shipping Services and is not intended for the use of for cleansing databases or batch processing.
>
> The USPS offers the AMS API CD as an alternative, which has all the addressing needs on it that would have been provided through the Address API. The Address Matching System Application Programming Interface is $3,500/ annually for in-house use. This allows the customer to place the data in one location on one server and develop on one platform. If wish to develop on multiple platforms or develop software for resale, there are additional charges. You will receive an update via CD-ROM every other month. You may also request to receive monthly CD-ROM updates for additional charges.
>
> If you're interested in ZIP code information, various ZIP code products are available on CD-ROM on an annual subscription basis with monthly updates. You may also purchase the 2004 National Five Digit ZIP Code Directory (soft cover only - $31.00) while supplies last; after which, hardcopy directories will be discontinued.
>
> For more information, please write to the following address or call 800-238-3150.
>
> National Customer Support Center
> United States Postal Service
> 6060 Primacy Pkwy Ste 201
> Memphis TN 38188-0001
>
>

Am I reading this wrong are they telling me the opposite of what they
told you?

Sincerely,

Adrian Madrid

On Mar 27, 11:51 am, "Carl Youngblood" <c...@youngbloods.org> wrote:
> I actually tried to license the CDs but they would not license them to
> us. I just wanted to use it to make sure our addresses were valid,
> but they told me that "database cleansing" was not one of the
> licensable applications for the API.
>
> So I haven't yet used the API. Let me know if you end up working that
> out with them. I was frustrated with how much time and effort they
> spent on an API only to release it on CD rather than make it available
> online, and then to put so many restrictions on who can license it.
> Very backwards if you ask me.
>
> Carl
>

[Carl Youngblood]

I'll sift through my email and see if I can find their responses. As
I think about it more, I think their response to you was the same as
what they told me. I had forgotten the details. I think my main
problem is that the application I'm developing was on too frugal of a
budget to justify the cost of the CD subscription (isn't it in the
thousands of dollars per year?).

It just seems stupid to deny access to an API to customers who are
willing to pay for it. Since when was an API created with perfect
foreknowledge of how customers would want to use it? The whole idea
of an API is for purposes that the creators of it might not foresee.
Frustrating.

Carl

[Adrian Madrid]

Carl,

You scared me for a second there. We gotta get this going and it seems
the CDs are our only option. It is expensive ($3500/yr) and we have to
build a ruby bridge for those C libraries but the good news is that if
the copyright allows it we will release the ruby code when it's all
done. Now on USPS denying access to the online API I have a hard time
finding a reason why. Is it about capacity? Charge me per query or
make it stratified so you know how much capacity you need but the way
they have it setup a lot of people contractually can't use the online
service and can't afford the steep entry fee. It seems to me that USPS
should look into helping more businesses get their jobs done. Isn't
there tax dollars involved? It is ridiculous.

AEM

--
Adrian Esteban Madrid

[Dane Falkner]

Hi Group,

I am trying to build a demo app in RoR. It is mostly complete, but
we are running out of time. I was wondering if anyone would like to
build this control. I need it by about 10:00 am (mountain time)
Thursday and then possibly a little help integrating it.

I am simply trying to find or create a control that is one of those
two column things that adds line items from the right column to the
column on the left so as to add or remove items from a group. The
items on the left are then used to add records to an associative
table (many to many structure). I may not be explaining myself well,
but it typically uses controls that use << < > >> to select line
items to move from the right to the left and vise versa. Then I need
the database updated accordingly.

Does anyone want to do this? How much will you charge me? Do you
understand what I need? Send your answers to me at dfalkner at
surgeworks dot com.

Thanks!!!

[Russ Rollins]

As an alternative, Yahoo provides a RESTful geocoding service that
I've used in a project for work. It provides street-level precision
and may return best-guess suggestions, it was extremely easy to
implement.

http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/rest/V1/geocode.html

-RR-

[Adrian Madrid]

Russ,

thanks for the suggestion. I had thought about using the various
geocoding providers (yahoo, google, etc) but I need to get the most
accurate/updated data possible and I can verify that with them. I
think I have finally a solution but I am still working out the
details.

Thanks again,

Adrian Madrid

--
Adrian Esteban Madrid