AS OBJECTS

 use Geo::Postcodes::NO;

 my $postcode = '1178'; # My postcode.

 if (Geo::Postcodes::NO::valid($postcode)) # A valid postcode?
 {
   my $P = Geo::Postcodes::NO->new($postcode);

   printf "Postcode         '%s'.\n", $P->postcode();
   printf "Postal location: '%s'.\n", $P->location();
   printf "Borough number:  '%s'.\n", $P->borough_number();
   printf "Borough:         '%s'.\n", $P->borough();
   printf "County:          '%s'.\n", $P->county();
   printf "Postcode type:   '%s'.\n", $P->type(); 
   printf "- in norwegian:  '%s'.\n", $P->type_verbose(); 
   printf "- in english:    '%s'.\n", $P->Geo::Postcodes::type_verbose(); 
 }

The test for a valid postcode can also be done on the object itself, as it will be undef when passed an illegal postcode (and thus no object at all.)

 my $P = Geo::Postcodes::NO->new($postcode);

 if ($P) { ... }

A more compact solution:

 if ($P = Geo::Postcodes::NO->new($postcode))
 {
   foreach my $field (Geo::Postcodes::NO::get_fields())
   {
     printf("%-20s %s\n", ucfirst($field), $P->$field())
   }
 }

This will not show the english description of the type.

AS PROCEDURES

 use Geo::Postcodes::NO;

 my $postcode = "1178";

 if (Geo::Postcodes::NO::valid($postcode))
 {
   printf "Postcode"        '%s'.\n", $postcode;
   printf "Postal location: '%s'.\n", location_of($postcode);
   printf "Borough number:  '%s'.\n", borough_number_of($postcode);
   printf "Borough:         '%s'.\n", borough_of($postcode);
   printf "County:          '%s'.\n", county_of($postcode);
   printf "Postcode type:   '%s'.\n", type_of($postcode); 
   printf "Postcode type:   '%s'.\n", type_of($postcode); 
   printf "- in norwegian:  '%s'.\n", type_of_verbose($postcode); 
   printf "- in english:    '%s'.\n", Geo::Postcodes::type_of_verbose($postcode); 
 }

EXPORT

is_field

  my $boolean = Geo::postcodes::NO::is_field($field);
  my $boolean = $postcode_object->is_field($field);

Does the specified field exist.

get_fields

  my @fields = Geo::postcodes::NO::get_fields();
  my @fields = $postcode_object->get_fields();

A list of legal fields.

selection

See the selection documentation (perldoc Geo::Postcodes::Selection or man Geo::Postcodes::Selection) for a full description, and the tutorial (perldoc Geo::Postcodes::Tutorial or man Geo::Postcodes::Tutorial) for sample code.

selection_loop

legal

  my $boolean = Geo::Postcodes::NO::legal($postcode);

Do we have a legal postcode; a code that follows the syntax rules?

valid

  my $boolean = Geo::Postcodes::NO::valid($postcode);

Do we have a valid postcode; a code in actual use?

get_postcodes

verify_selectionlist

  my($status, @modified) = Geo::Postcodes::NO::verify_selectionlist(@args);

  if ($status)
  {
    my @result = Geo::Postcodes::NO::selection(@modified);
  }
  else
  {
    print "Diagnostic messages:\n";
    map { print " - $_\n" } @modified;
  }

postcode_of

  $postcode = Geo::Postcodes::NO::postcode_of($postcode);

Used internally by 'selection', but otherwise not very useful.

location_of

  my $loaction = Geo::Postcodes::NO::location_of($postcode);

The postal location associated with the specified postcode.

borough_number_of

  my $boroug_number = Geo::Postcodes::NO::borough_number_of($postcode);

The number of the borough (kommune) where the postcode is located.

borough_number2borough

 my $borough = Geo::Postcodes::NO::borough_number2borough($borough);

The name of the borough (kommune) with the specified borough number.

borough_of

 my $borough = Geo::Postcodes::NO::borough_of($postcode);

The name of the borough (kommune) where the postcode is located.

county_of

 my $county = Geo::Postcodes::NO::county_of($county_number);

The name of the county (fylke) where the postcode is located.

borough_number2county

 my $county = Geo::Postcodes::NO::borough_number2county($borough_number);

The name of the county (fylke) where the specified borough number (kommune nummer) is located.

type_of

  my $type = Geo::Postcodes::NO::type_of($postcode);

type_verbose_of

 my $danish_description  = Geo::postcodes::NO::type_verbose_of($postcode);
 my $english_description = Geo::postcodes::type_verbose_of($postcode);

A norwegian text describing the type. Use the base class for the english description.

See the TYPE section for a description of the types.

type2verbose

  my $norwegian_description = Geo::Postcodes::NO::type2verbose($type);
  my $english_description   = Geo::Postcodes::type2verbose($type);

new

Create a new postcode object. Internally this will call the "xxx_of" procedures for the fields supported by this class.

The constructor will return undef when passed an invalid or illegal postcode. Do not try method calls on it, as it is not an object. See the description of the legal and valid procedures above.

postcode

 my $postcode = $P->postcode();

The postcode, as given to the constructor (new).

location

 my $location = $P->location();

The postal location associated with the specified postcode.

borough_number

 my $borough_number = $P->borough_number();

The number of the borough (kommune) where the postcode is located. This is an official norwegian identifier.

borough

 my $borough = $P->borough();

The name of the borough (kommune) where the postcode is located.

county

  my $county = $P->county();

The name of the county (fylke) where the postcode is located.

type

  my $type = $P->type();

See the description of the procedure type_of above.

type_verbose

  my $type_norwegian = $P->type_verbose();
  my $type_english   = $P->Geo::Postcodes::type_verbose();

Use this to get the description.

See the TYPE section for a description of the types.

POSTCODES

Use legal to check for legal postcodes, and valid to check if the postcode is actually in use. Geo::Postcodes::NO->new($postcode) will return undef if passed an illegal or invalid postcode.

An attempt to access the methods of a non-existent postcode object will result in a runtime error. This can be avoided by checking if the postal code is legal, before creating the object; "valid($postcode)" returns true or false.

LEGAL BOROUGH NUMBERS

CHARACTER SET

Note that the case insensitive search (in the 'selection' method/procedure) doesn't recognize an 'Æ' as an 'æ' (and so on). "use locale" in the application program should fix this, if the current locale supports these characters.

Note that all names are given in UPPER CASE. This is courtesy of the norwegian postal service.