Additional User Dictionary considerations

See the following topics for more information when working with User Dictionaries.

Data Access License

You must still have a valid access license to the data contained in the GSD when you are geocoding against your User Dictionary. For example, if you create a dictionary of New York streets and addresses, you must purchase the New York or entire U.S. GSD.

Use without GSD data files

To utilize a User Dictionary without the use of GSDs, the files listed below are required:
  • ctyst.dir—The USPS City-State table
  • parse.dir—Address elements and abbreviations dictionary
  • finmbr.dat—Spatial query file
To perform postal centroid geocoding, in addition to a GSD or a User Dictionary and the files listed above, the files listed below are necessary::
  • us.z9—Postal centroid information
  • cbsac.dir—Required only if county names or CBSA/CSA data are needed

CASS standards

You cannot geocode to CASS standards using a User Dictionary. This also means that the ParcelPrecision Dictionary cannot be used during CASS geocoding.

Address Range order

The US geocoder determines the order of the address range based on a comparison of the start and end addresses. The comparison produces these results:
  • If the end is greater than the start, the range is ascending.
  • If the start is greater than the end, the range is descending.
  • If the start is equal to the end, the range is ascending.

Street intersections and User Dictionaries

When geocoding to street intersections with a User Dictionary, the US geocoder cannot recognize the intersections if one or more of the segments that make up the intersection does not have an end point at the intersection. This can happen when you create the User Dictionary from a customized street table in which some segments that terminate at intersections do not have end points.

The figure below shows an intersection in a User Dictionary that does not have end points for all segments; this will not be recognized by the US geocoder as an intersection.

The figure below shows an intersection in a TIGER-based GSD which includes end points for all segments. The US geocoder geocodes to this intersection.