Hi, all!

I've tried to write a custom function that converts an address to USPS standards, specifically it converts:

* ROAD to RD
* COURT to CT
* STREET to ST
* AVENUE to AVE
* SUITE to STE
* EAST to E, WEST to W, and so on for NORTH and SOUTH

etc, etc. as well as stripping all periods and commas and uppercasing the entire address.

I do this with a series of Substitute() functions on the address

Let[ result = Upper( address ) ;
result = Substitute( address ; "ROAD" ; "RD" );
result = Substitute( address ; "COURT" ; "CT" )
etc.
]

The problem is that I am having results appear like COURTNEY turning into CTNEY and BROADWAY into BRDWAY because the Substitute() function is looking for a string of characters with complete disregard for word boundaries. I've also got a problem with things like NORTH ST turning into N ST.

The USPS website has a converter that uses an algorithm that has solved these issues, but it is not something that can be run from within FMP.

Is there another function, custom or otherwise, that will either: 1) replace what I am trying to do, or; 2) would work in conjunction with what I am already doing (IOW, replacing the Substitute function within my custom function)?

I'm willing to pay a reasonable price, if necessary, for someone to write something, if this cannot be done natively in FMP, or the FMP coding becomes too convoluted.

If I can make this work within the confines of FMP's scripting language, I was planning on posting it for free access on Brian Dunning's site.

Can anyone help me?
--
Steve Willis
stevewillis at mac.com



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