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Zipcode for Barcode Filemaker
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How to use Zipcode for Filemaker
Installation and Tutorial
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Installation for MAC (7.1 to OS 9) and OSX including Tiger
After downloading Zipcode open the 'plugin for filemaker extensions' folder to locate the Zipcode Finder plugin and drag it into your Filemaker extensions folder.
Drag the Zipdata directory (located in the contents for documents folder) into your documents folder directly on your hard drive, If you don't have a documents folder then you will need to create one. The documents folder is usually found in applications / library / documents.
Mac OS 7-9: Drag Postcode.suit to your fonts folder in your system folder.
Mac OS X: Drag postcode.suit from the fonts folder in this folder to your fonts folder in your Library folder.
You now need to restart your computer.
Installation for Windows (98,2000,ME & XP) PC's
Filemaker 4-5-6: Drag Zipcode.fmx from the Windows Plugin folder to the System folder inside the Filemaker folder on your hard disk.
Filemaker 7: Drag Zipcode.fmx from the Windows Plugin folder to the Extensions folder inside the Filemaker folder on your hard disk
Drag Postcode.ttf into your fonts section of the control panels in the start menu.

Drag the zipdata directory (located in the contents for documents folder) into your programme files folder directly on your hard drive.
You now need to restart your computer
Start Filemaker and select 'create a new empty file'
In our example we have named our database 'zipcode'.

Your first field will be where you enter your zipcodes so enter 'zipcode' as the field name and choose 'text' as the field type then select create as shown in the example on the left.
We now need to create the output fields (town, state, the actual barcode etc)
Enter 'town' as your next field,choose 'calculation' as the field type and select create.
This will now take you to the calculation field. Select 'External functions' from the operators view drop down menu near the top right hand corner. Scroll to the bottom of the external functions field and select External("ZIP-GetTownFromZip", parameters). Replace 'parameters' with 'zipcode'(your input field). Set the 'Calculation result is' to text and select OK.
We now need to repeat this process for our other output fields.
Remember to replace 'parameters' with 'zipcode' on all the output fields.
For state select External("ZIP-GetStateFromZip", parameters) and set the 'calculation result is' to text.
For time zone select External("ZIP-GetTimeZoneFromZip", parameters) and set the 'calculation result is' to number.
For latitude select External("ZIP-GetLatitudeFromZip", parameters) and set the 'calculation result is' to number.
For longitude select External("ZIP-GetLongitudeFromZip", parameters) and set the 'calculation result is' to number.
For the barcode select External("ZIP-MakeZipAsPostnetBarcode", parameters) and set the 'calculation result is' to text.
Select done and you will be taken to the layout mode as shown below.


Select the postnet barcode field and change the font to postcode (do this by selecting Format/Font/Postcode).
Then change the size to 16pts (Format/Size/16pts).
Then select Line Spacing (Format/Line Spacing/Custom) and set the height to 10 pixels then select OK as shown below.

You will now be returned to the layout page.
Go to browse mode by pressing the apple key+B (Control+B on PC).

Click in the zipcode field and enter your zipcode.
Now press the tab key to see all the relevant data.
Finding the distance between two zipcodes
To find the distance between 2 zipcodes you need to create two input fields (just like the zipcode one at the beginning of this tutorial). We called them zipcode1 and zipcode2.
Then create a calculation field called distance and set the 'calculation result is' to text
Repeat the process we used earlier for the output fields but select the External("ZIP-GetDistancePlaceToPlace",parameters) option. Replace the 'parameters' with zipcode1&"|"& zipcode2
Your calculation should look like this:-
External("ZIP-GetDistancePlaceToPlace", zipcode1&"|"& zipcode2)

Click done to go to the layout mode and press apple+B (control+B on a PC) to go to browse mode.
Now simply enter your two zipcodes in the zipcode fields and press the tab key to display the distance between them.

Please note that the distance given is in miles and not kilometers.
Finding a location from an telephone area code
To find the town from an area code you will need to create an input field (We used area code in our example)
Then create a calculation field called location and set the 'calculation result is' to text
Repeat the process we used earlier for the output fields but select the External("ZIP-GetTownFromAreaCode",parameters) option. Replace the 'parameters' with area code
Your calculation should look like this:-
External("ZIP-GetTownFromAreaCode", area code)

Click done to go to the layout mode and press apple+B (control+B on a PC) to go to browse mode.
Now simply enter your area code into the area code field and press the tab key to display the location (as shown in our example below).

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