postcode information manual

© Cendris

Postcode Information

Manual for Postcode an Address File

and special services

Version - 2015

© Cendris

Postcode Information

Postcodes, cities and towns, street names, house numbers and dialling codes in the Netherlands.

Postcode and Address File SERIES level HOUSE NUMBER level Subject to change Cendris has taken the utmost care in compiling this documentation; however, it cannot be held liable

for any errors or omissions and/or future changes.

Contents

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 2. Notes to the file data ............................................................................................... 3 3. Data transaction options and data carriers .................................................................... 7 4. Field definitions ..................................................................................................... 8 4. Field definitions ..................................................................................................... 9 5. Postcode and Address File entity relationship diagram .................................................... 12 7. Header and footer record & sorting............................................................................ 18 8. The transaction process .......................................................................................... 20 9. HOUSE NUMBER extensions ..................................................................................... 23 10. Comments and recommendations .......................................................................... 24 11. Terms of delivery .............................................................................................. 26 Annexe 1 ................................................................................................... 27 Deriving names - General ............................................................................................. 27 Annexe 2 ................................................................................................... 29 HOUSE NUMBER extensions ........................................................................................... 29

Cendris In addition to the Postcode Table, Cendris offers other products and services to keep your address files up to date.

More information: Telephone +31 88 23 63 747 or visit our website at www.cendris.com

© Cendris 2015 Page 1 of 30

1. Introduction

Postcode and Address File The Postcode and Address File can be supplied in two versions (levels), i.e. at a SERIES or at a HOUSE NUMBER level. The Postcode and Address File lists all cities, towns and villages, as well as streets and postcodes in the Netherlands with accompanying house numbers or series of house numbers. These

addresses are written in accordance with PostNL, NEN 5825 and official notation. The Postcode and Address File can be supplied in combination with a monthly transaction subscription. The file is easy to integrate into your own software application(s) and can be used, for example, to standardise address files and data entry. The Postcode and Address Files are supplied through the online service 'MijnPostcode'. It is also possible to order the Postcode and Address File in instalments.

Renumbering File The Renumbering File contains information concerning changes within HOUSE NUMBER series and is a

supplement to the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level. Place Name Recognition File

The Place Name Recognition File connects non-standard place names to the official place name (Scheveningen = 'S-GRAVENHAGE, Den Haag = 'S-GRAVENHAGE). Postcode / Dialling Code File This file includes approx. 410,000 postcodes in the Netherlands, supplemented with a maximum of two dialling codes for the telephone number, and the place name (city/town) written in accordance with the

NEN5825 notation. The first dialling code is the most common dialling code within the postcode area (99.4% of all postcodes include only one dialling code). Postcode Relationship File

This file links the postcode and various geographical zones within the Netherlands, such as provinces,

municipalities, city/town, Corop, CeBuCo, EGG, etc. A new edition is published annually in June. Postcode Penetration File

The Postcode Penetration File provides, for four or five digits of the postcode, information about the number of postal delivery points, broken down by parcel lot (nature of the residence, such as high-rise flat, low-rise flat, with or without garden, shop, etc.).

Statistical Information The file with statistical information provides, for each four-digit postcode area, information about the number of residents and companies/institutions. This file also includes information about the number of postal delivery points, rentable addresses/telephone numbers and active and non-active

companies/institutions per postcode area.


AdresXpress

AdresXpress is a server-to-server application. Your server connects directly to the Cendris server on which the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level, updated weekly, runs. Visitors to your website simply fill in their postcode and house number, or their city or town, street name and house number. If this information has been filled in correctly, the full address is filled in automatically.

AdresXpress offers:

ease of use for web visitors

a correct, standardised address!

a professional look and feel for your website

For more details and technical specifications please visit our website at:

www.cendris.nl/webservices.


2. Notes to the file data

Size The Postcode and Address File at SERIES level includes approx. 620,000 records and is supplied in ASCII. The records and the fields are of a fixed length. The total size of this table is about 118 MB.

A Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level includes about 7.5 million records and the total size is approx. 1.55 GB. The Postcode and Address File only includes place names (cities, towns, etc.), street names and house numbers authorised by municipal ordinance. The Place Name Recognition File is 600 KB. The size of the Renumbering File depends on the number of transactions in the relevant month.

Postcode A postcode is made up of four digits and two letters. A postcode can encompass one or more streets,

which means that the combination of postcode and street is not unique. However, in the case of a developed street, the combination of postcode and house number is unique. Undeveloped (sections of) streets

The Postcode and Address File includes about 20,000 ‘undeveloped (sections of) streets’. In these records, the letters in the postcode are replaced by spaces and the house numbers by noughts. Lot numbers (see lot numbers section) will not have been assigned. The change from undeveloped to developed is carried out by transaction type ‘delete / add’. Thus, an undeveloped street can be recognised by the letter combination of the postcode, in this case

spaces. Sometimes a full address (street, house number, postcode and city/town) is not yet listed in the Postcode and Address File, for example, in the case where the municipality has not reported the address to PostNL in time, or as the result of a ‘time leak’.

If such addresses were to be included in a database, the chance would arise that the address information would be entered incorrectly (e.g. Le Toermalet instead of Le Tourmalet). By including

undeveloped streets with place names in an application, you ensure that at least the street name and city or town are listed in your database in accordance with the chosen standard (PostNL, NEN 5825 or official notation). You can mark these addresses and, after the transaction process using the Postcode and Address File has been completed, you can check the missing data (letters from the postcode and the house number).

If the addresses do not appear in the Postcode and Address File within a period of three months, this

will be investigated. You can e-mail these problem cases to: [email protected] House number series House number series are linked to the Postcode and Address File. A series is either even (e.g. 2-20) or uneven (e.g. 1-25). In the case of undeveloped streets, houseboats or home caravans without

numbers, noughts are reported in the series of house numbers. Houseboats might be indicated by the

letters AB (aan boord – on board) and home caravans by WW (woonwagen – home caravan); these letters follow the street name. Designations for the house number such as ‘bij’ (at) or ‘t/o’ (across from) are not official and do not appear in the Postcode and Address File. Not all house numbers within a series may actually exist.


House numbers and extensions

With the Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level, it is possible to check whether a house number actually exists (house number validation). Post office box numbers are only reported in the table in series. A house number can have no postal recipients (households/companies, etc.), or one or more than one.

There may be an extension to the house number (e.g. 16A, 16B, etc.); these are often devised by the residents themselves. These extensions are not included in the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level. The Postcode and Address File only includes the extensions reported in the municipal ordinance. These can be abbreviated. For more information see Annexe 2: House number extensions.

Lot numbers

The Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level and the Renumbering File make use of lot numbers. A lot number is a unique number assigned by PostNL to each building/lot (official delivery point). This way, the history can be recorded and changes easily applied. Lot numbers are not assigned to:

post office boxes; undeveloped streets; houseboats/home caravans without house numbers. PO Boxes The post office box (PO Box) series have also been included in the Postcode and address File. In this

case, in the field ‘street name’ POSTBUS or Postbus is listed, depending on the form of notation. Business reply numbers

The Postcode and Address File does not include any information concerning business reply numbers.

Transactions Annually, there are about 30,000 transactions (records) in the Postcode and address File at SERIES level. We estimate that this number is about 300,000 per year at HOUSE NUMBER level. This number is so high because the transactions are always supplied at the lowest level (series or house number). The transactions can be supplied on a monthly basis to subscribers. For more information about transactions, see chapter 8 'Transaction Process'.

Renumbering While the Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level provides individual house numbers, these are not included in the Postcode and address File at SERIES level. The supplemental Renumbering Table includes only transactions (changes) at HOUSE NUMBER level and augments the

Postcode and Address File at SERIES level. For example, house number 2 becomes house number 4

and house number 4 becomes 6, etc. Or the street name or postcode changes. You cannot see these changes in the SERIES level because there is no change to the series of house numbers. The Renumbering File makes it possible to update the ‘lagging files’ at HOUSE NUMBER level. Unless there have been clear arrangements made in your organisation to avoid these, there are certain risks inherent in automatic renumbering. If the Renumbering File is used incorrectly, the house

numbers can be changed twice with resulting mistakes in your file. When the numbers are being incremented (2 to 4, 4 to 6) the changes must be made from the top down. If the numbers are decreasing (6 to 4, 4 to 2), the changes should be made from the bottom up. In the case of the Postcode and address File at HOUSE NUMBER level, you can easily make use of the lot number (see under house number) to achieve this.


Notation

In the Postcode and address File, the street names are supplied in three forms of notation (official, NEN 5825 and PostNL) and the place names in two (NEN 5825 and PostNL). The OFFICIAL notation of the street name (in capitals and lower case letters) is the same as that reported in the municipal ordinance, and is made up of a maximum of 43 characters. If the street

name is longer than 43 characters it will be abridged or truncated. The NEN 5825 is set by the Dutch Standardisation Institute in Delft and it is the standard used by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the exchange of address information between governmental organisations. The street names and place names may have up to a maximum of 24 characters, and if these are longer than 24 characters, they will be abridged or truncated in accordance with the rules under NEN

5825. The street name includes capital and lower case letters and the place name is all in capitals. PostNL notation is in accordance with the conventions for standardised notation of names and

addresses. Cendris can provide you with information on this free of charge. The street name is a maximum of 17 characters and the place name must not be more than 18 characters long. The information is in capitals and the Dutch letter ‘IJ’ is listed as ‘Y’. Except in cases where this forms an integral part of the name (e.g. Melkweg), in the PostNL notation, street names such as lane, street,

road, etc. are always abbreviated. Example: 'Street name in official notation': Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 'Street name in NEN 5825 notation': 1e Jacob van Campenstr

'Street name in PostNL notation': 1E J V CAMPENSTR Diacritical marks

The Postcode and address File includes, where applicable, apostrophes and hyphens, but does not

include other diacritical or punctuation marks. Postcode / Dialling Code File This File includes approx. 410,000 postcodes in the Netherlands, supplemented with a maximum of two dialling codes for the telephone number, and the place name (city/town) written in accordance with the NEN 5825 notation. The first dialling code is the most common dialling code within the

postcode area (99.4% of all postcodes include only one dialling code). About 2,200 postcodes encompass two dialling codes, and 16 postcodes even encompass three (in the case of the latter, the third dialling code is also provided). Using this file, the dialling code can be automatically entered into your database when a postcode is entered, or checks can be carried out on the dialling codes.

Indexes The combination of postcode and house number is unique for a street name and place name (city, town, etc.) and describes a complete address, including street name, house number, postcode and place name. If the postcode is not known, you can find this by using the place name, street name and house number in the search. The extracts of the street name and place name, included with the

Postcode and Address File, are often used for this. The file only includes the recognised place names. For example, it does not include Scheveningen and Den Haag (the proper Dutch name for The Hague is ’s-Gravenhage). When this situation arises, you can refer to the Place Name Recognition file, also available from Cendris. Additional information

In addition to address information, the Postcode and Address File also includes geographical information, such as province, CeBuCo and municipal codes, including the name of the municipality. Cendris has available various geographical products, including the Postcode Relationship File, which


includes various geographical divisions such as geo-economic areas (EGG), Corop areas (groups of

closely situated municipalities), ‘nodule’ areas, etc. Test set A test set to test your transaction software is available on request from Cendris' Customer Information on +31 88 23 63 747. The test set includes the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level, HOUSE

NUMBER level, Renumbering Table and Place Name Recognition File. • Postcode and Address File test set This test set includes three files: the first with a number of records from the Postcode and address File, the second with various changes (transactions) to the first and the third showing the result of the transaction process on the first two files.

• Renumbering File test set This test set includes various transactions at the level of house numbers and extensions.

• Place Name Recognition File test set This test set includes two files, the standard version and the extended version.


3. Data transaction options and data carriers

Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level Product Carrier* Frequency Format Purchase entire Postcode and Address File MijnPostcode Once only ASCII Transactions MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII

Transactions MijnPostcode Weekly ASCII Supplying Files MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Supplying duplicates Mijn Cendris Occasionally ASCII Postcode/Dialling Code File MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Place Name Recognition File MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Instalments (per 1000-series) Mijn Cendris On request ASCII

Postcode and Address File at SERIES level

Product Carrier* Frequency Format Purchase entire Postcode and Address File MijnPostcode Once only ASCII Transactions MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Transactions MijnPostcode Weekly ASCII

Supplying Files MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Supplying duplicates Mijn Cendris Occasionally ASCII Renumbering File MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Postcode / Dialling Code File MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Place Name Recognition Table MijnPostcode Monthly ASCII Instalments (per 1000-series) Mijn Cendris On request ASCII

* MijnPostcode/Mijn Cendris: This is a protected and secure environment which allows you access to your products online. Supplying files

Cendris can supply you with new files on a monthly basis, replacing the entire Postcode Table

with the latest version. Supplying duplicates Duplicates (of the latest version of the Postcode Table) are supplied on an occasional basis. Instalment

An instalment is the provision of one or more 1000 series on the basis of the four-digit part of the postcode. An example of this is: Postcode series 1000 - 1099


Sample shipment list

Afzender

Cendris Customer Information

Postbus 24024

2490 AA 's-Gravenhage

T +31 (0) 88 236 37 47

F +31 (0) 88 236 39 95

Datum: 31 oktober 2012

Betreft levering: Mutaties Postcodetabel op REEKSniveau, van <maandnaam> <jaar>.

Bestandsnaam: pctmutr

Verstrekwijze: MijnPostcode

Recordlengte: 385 karakters

Aantal records: 1.117 (inclusief voorloop/sluitrecord)

Inhoud voorlooprecord:

*** MUTATIES POSTCODETABEL PTT REEKS VAN <afkorting maandnaam> <jaar> ***

Inhoud sluitrecord:

**** AANTAL MUTATIES 0001115; AANTAL BESTANDRECORDS 0639451; AANTAL

BEBOUWDE REEKSEN 0618622 ****

Leveringsvoorwaarden

Op de producten/diensten van Cendris zijn de Algemene Voorwaarden Cendris van

toepassing.

Voor inhoudelijke vragen kunt u contact opnemen met Cendris Klantenservice, telefonisch

bereikbaar via 088- 236 37 47 of per e-mail via [email protected].


4. Field definitions

For each field, the origin (the entity) and notes are provided. An entity relationship diagram is provided later in this documentation. Field name Origin Notes

Place name/district code DISTRICT The four-digit part of the postcode

Letter combination POSTCODE The two letters of the postcode In the case of undeveloped streets this field has spaces Series type SERIES Indication that shows the following for the series:

space = undeveloped street, the code breakpoints (see following field) are nought 0’ = uneven code breakpoints

‘1’ = even code breakpoints ‘2’ = houseboats without house number, the code breakpoints are nought ‘3’ = home caravans without house number, the

code breakpoints are nought Code breakpoint VAN SERIES Code breakpoints indicate house number series, for

example (from) 2 to 20. Code breakpoint VAN (from) indicates the first house number of the series; so, in this case, house number 2. In the case of undeveloped streets, the code breakpoints are noughts. If ‘Postbus’

(PO Box) is listed in the street name field, these are not house numbers, but PO Box numbers.

Code breakpoint T/M (to) SERIES The last house/post office box number in the series.

PostNL place name PLACE NAME Written in accordance with the PostNL conventions; in

capitals and without diacritical or punctuation marks. NEN place name PLACE NAME In accordance with the NEN 5825, the official place

name; written in capitals and with punctuation marks (though no diacritical marks). If longer than 24 characters, abbreviated/truncated in accordance with NEN 5825.

PostNL street name STREET Written in accordance with the PostNL conventions; in

capitals and without diacritical or punctuation marks. Filled by ‘POSTBUS’ when the series is for PO Boxes.

NEN street name STREET In accordance with the NEN 5825, the official street

name; in upper and lower case letters and with

punctuation marks (though no diacritical marks). If longer than 24 characters, abbreviated/ truncated in accordance with NEN 5825. Filled by ‘Postbus’ when the series is for PO Boxes.

Official street name STREET Full name of street in accordance with the municipal

ordinance. In capital and lower case letters, including punctuation and diacritical marks. If the street name is longer than 43 characters it will be abridged or truncated. Filled by ‘Postbus’ when the series is for PO Boxes.

Place name extract PLACE NAME The four-letter abbreviation of the most important part of

the PostNL place name, written in capitals.

Street name extract STREET The five-letter abbreviation of the most important part of

the PostNL street name, written in capitals.


Municipality code MUNICIPALITY In accordance with the code of Statistics Netherlands.

Municipality name MUNICIPALITY Name of the municipality as officially recorded by the city

or town council.


Field name Origin Notes

Province code MUNICIPALITY Code for a province. Value range: A = Groningen G = Gelderland M = Utrecht B = Friesland H = South Holland P = North Brabant D = Drenthe K = Limburg S = Zeeland

E = Overijssel L = North Holland X = Flevoland CeBuCo code MUNICIPALITY Code for a national district classification as assigned

by, and for use by, the Central Bureau for Newspaper Publicity (Centraal Bureau voor Courantenpubliciteit – CeBuCo)

House number LOT The number assigned by the municipality to a lot. PO

Box numbers are only reported in the table in series.

House number extension LOT An addition to a house number in order to specify a

location exactly. This will only be the extension officially assigned by the municipality, possibly

abbreviated. Lot number LOT Unique serial number for a lot/official delivery point,

assigned by PostNL. Transaction indication This is a collection of transaction indicators at field

level. The file record can be split into four parts

(see record layout): The type of transaction

The transaction indication

The ‘old’ situation

The ‘new’ situation

The value of the transaction indicator shows whether the ‘new’ situation is different from the ‘old’.

Value ‘0’ = unchanged and value ‘1’ = changed. The order of the indicators agrees with the fields in the record layout.

Transaction type Only included in the transaction files. This field

indicates the type of transaction:

0 = Delete transaction The transaction indicators are filled with the value ‘1’ and only the old situation is filled in. Delete this record. 1 = Update transaction (see transaction indicator) Both the old and the new

situation are filled in.

2 = Add transaction The transaction indicators are filled with the value ‘1’ and the old and new situation are the same. Add this record.


5. Postcode and Address File entity relationship diagram

Description of relations: several district codes can be included under a municipality; several district codes can be included under a city/town; a district can only be in one municipality; a district can only be in one place (city, town, etc.);

a place (city, town, etc.) can fall under more than one municipality; several places (city, town, etc.) can be included under a municipality; a district can have more than one postcode; a district can include 0 or more streets; a postcode can include more than one street; a postcode can include 0 or more series;

a street can include 0 or more series; a series can include 0 or more lots; a street can fall under more than one district.

municipality

place name district code

postcode area

lot

place name

street

undeveloped street

home caravan

houseboat

PO Box series

house number series


6. Record layouts

Record description - Postcode and address File at HOUSE NUMBER level File name : PCTP Length of record : 204 Sorting : place name/district code + letter combination + series type + code

breakpoint VAN (from) + lot number + PostNL street name

Position Length Type Description 1 - 4 4 AN place name/district code 5 - 6 2 A letter combination 7 - 7 1 AN series type

8 - 12 5 N code breakpoint VAN (from) 13 - 17 5 N code breakpoint T/M (to) 18 - 35 18 AN PostNL place name

36 - 59 24 AN NEN place name 60 - 76 17 AN PostNL street name 77 - 100 24 AN NEN street name 101 - 143 43 AN OFFICIAL street name

144 - 147 4 AN place name extract 148 - 152 5 AN street name extract 153 - 156 4 N municipality code 157 - 180 24 AN name of municipality 181 - 181 1 A province code 182 - 184 3 N CeBuCo code 185 - 189 5 N house number

190 - 195 6 AN house number extension 196 - 204 9 N lot number

Record description - Postcode and address File at SERIES level file name : PCTR

length of record : 184 sorting : place name/district code + letter combination + series type + code

breakpoint VAN (from) + PostNL street name Position Length Type Description 1 - 4 4 AN place name/district code

5 - 6 2 A letter combination 7 - 7 1 AN series type 8 - 12 5 N code breakpoints VAN (from) 13 - 17 5 N code breakpoints T/M (to) 18 - 35 18 AN PostNL place name 36 - 59 24 AN NEN place name

60 - 76 17 AN PostNL street name

77 - 100 24 AN NEN street name 101 - 143 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 144 - 147 4 AN place name extract 148 - 152 5 AN street name extract 153 - 156 4 N municipality code 157 - 180 24 AN name of municipality

181 - 181 1 A province code 182 - 184 3 N CeBuCo code


Record description – Transaction for Postcode and address File at HOUSE NUMBER level

file name : PCTMUTP length of record : 428 sorting : place name/district code + letter combination + series type +

code breakpoints VAN + lot number + PostNL street name (old/new situation) + type of transaction

Position Length Type Description 1 - 1 1 N type of transaction 2 - 20 19 N transaction indicators • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •OLD SITUATION• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 - 24 4 AN place name/district code

25 - 26 2 A letter combination 27 - 27 1 AN series type 28 - 32 5 N code breakpoint VAN

33 - 37 5 N code breakpoint T/M 38 - 55 18 AN PostNL place name 56 - 79 24 AN NEN place name 80 - 96 17 AN PostNL street name

97 - 120 24 AN NEN street name 121 - 163 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 164 - 167 4 AN place name extract 168 - 172 5 AN street name extract 173 - 176 4 N municipality code 177 - 200 24 AN name of municipality 201 - 201 1 A province code

202 - 204 3 N CeBuCo code 205 - 209 5 N house number 210 - 215 6 AN house number extension 216 - 224 9 N lot number

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •NEW SITUATION• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 225 - 228 4 AN place name/district code

229 - 230 2 A letter combination 231 - 231 1 AN series type 232 - 236 5 N code breakpoint VAN 237 - 241 5 N code breakpoint T/M 242 - 259 18 AN PostNL place name 260 - 283 24 AN NEN place name 284 - 300 17 AN PostNL street name

301 - 324 24 AN NEN street name 325 - 367 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 368 - 371 4 AN place name extract 372 - 376 5 AN street name extract 377 - 380 4 N municipality code 381 - 404 24 AN name of municipality

405 - 405 1 A province code

406 - 408 3 N CeBuCo code 409 - 413 5 N house number 414 - 419 6 AN house number extension 420 - 428 9 N lot number


Record description – Transactions for Postcode and Address File at SERIES level

file name : PCTMUTR length of record : 385 sorting : place name/district code + letter combination + series type +

code breakpoints VAN + PostNL street name (old/new situation) + type of transaction

Position Length Type Description 1 - 1 1 N type of transaction 2 - 17 16 N transaction indicators • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • OLD SITUATION• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18 - 21 4 AN place name/district code

22 - 23 2 A letter combination 24 - 24 1 AN series type 25 - 29 5 N code breakpoint VAN

30 - 34 5 N code breakpoint T/M 35 - 52 18 AN PostNL place name 53 - 76 24 AN NEN place name 77 - 93 17 AN PostNL street name

94 - 117 24 AN NEN street name 118 - 160 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 161 - 164 4 AN place name extract 165 - 169 5 AN street name extract 170 - 173 4 N municipality code 174 - 197 24 AN name of municipality 198 - 198 1 A province code

199 - 201 3 N CeBuCo code • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • NEW SITUATION• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 202 - 205 4 AN place name/district code 206 - 207 2 A letter combination

208 - 208 1 AN series type 209 - 213 5 N code breakpoint VAN

214 - 218 5 N code breakpoint T/M 219 - 236 18 AN PostNL place name 237 - 260 24 AN NEN place name 261 - 277 17 AN PostNL street name 278 - 301 24 AN NEN street name 302 - 344 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 345 - 348 4 AN place name extract

349 - 353 5 AN street name extract 354 - 357 4 N municipality code 358 - 381 24 AN name of municipality 382 - 382 1 A province code 383 - 385 3 N CeBuCo code


Record description – Renumbering File

file name : PCTNUM length of record : 428 sorting : place name/district code + letter combination + series type +

code breakpoints VAN + house number + house number extension + PostNL street name (old/new situation) + type of transaction

Position Length Type Description 1 - 1 1 N type of transaction 2 - 20 19 N transaction indicators • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • OLD SITUATION• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

21 - 24 4 AN place name/district code 25 - 26 2 A letter combination 27 - 27 1 AN series type

28 - 32 5 N code breakpoint VAN 33 - 37 5 N code breakpoint T/M 38 - 55 18 AN PostNL place name 56 - 79 24 AN NEN place name

80 - 96 17 AN PostNL street name 97 - 120 24 AN NEN street name 121 - 163 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 164 - 167 4 AN place name extract 168 - 172 5 AN street name extract 173 - 176 4 N municipality code 177 - 200 24 AN name of municipality

201 - 201 1 A province code 202 - 204 3 N CeBuCo code 205 - 209 5 N house number 210 - 215 6 AN house number extension

216 - 224 9 N lot number • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • NEW SITUATION• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

225 - 228 4 AN place name/district code 229 - 230 2 A letter combination 231 - 231 1 AN series type 232 - 236 5 N code breakpoint VAN 237 - 241 5 N code breakpoint T/M 242 - 259 18 AN PostNL place name 260 - 283 24 AN NEN place name

284 - 300 17 AN PostNL street name 301 - 324 24 AN NEN street name 325 - 367 43 AN OFFICIAL street name 368 - 371 4 AN place name extract 372 - 376 5 AN street name extract 377 - 380 4 N municipality code

381 - 404 24 AN name of municipality

405 - 405 1 A province code 406 - 408 3 N CeBuCo code 409 - 413 5 N house number 414 - 419 6 AN house number extension 420 - 428 9 N lot number


Record description – Place Name Recognition File

file name : PCTWE length of record : 72 sorting : place name not recognised Position Length Type Description

1 - 30 30 A place name not recognised 31 - 48 18 A PostNL notation for place name 49 - 72 24 A NEN 5825 notation for place name Record description – Postcode / Dialling Code File

file name : NETNUM.EXE length of record : 38 sorting : -

Position Length Type Description 1 - 6 6 A Postcode

7 - 10 4 N Dialling code-1 11 - 14 4 N Dialling code-2 15 - 38 24 A NEN place name


7. Header and footer record & sorting

Header record In the header record of the Postcode and Address File, the type of Postcode and Address File and the month and year of delivery are reported. The month is represented by the first three letters, written in capitals: JAN (January), FEB (February), MAA (March), APR (April), MEI (May), JUN (June), JUL (July),

AUG (August), SEP (September), OKT (October), NOV (November) and DEC (December). Underlined = variable information The length of the header and trailer records is the same as the length of the data records of the products concerned and the record ends with a period.

Examples: • Header record – Postcode Table at SERIES level:

***POSTCODETABEL PTT REEKS VAN JAN 2012*** • Header record – Transactions for Postcode Table at SERIES level: ***MUTATIES POSTCODETABEL PTT REEKS VAN JAN 2012*** • Header record – Postcode Table at HOUSE NUMBER level:

***POSTCODETABEL PTT HUISNUMMERS VAN JAN 2012*** • Header record – Transactions for Postcode Table at HOUSE NUMBER level: ***MUTATIES POSTCODETABEL PTT HUISNUMMERS VAN JAN 2012*** • Header record – Renumbering Table: ***VERNUMMERINGENTABEL PTT VAN JAN 2012*** Footer record

In the footer record, the totals will be reported and these can be used to check to the processing of the Postcode and Address File.

Examples:

• Trailer record – Postcode Table at SERIES level: ****AANTAL BESTANDRECORDS 9999999; AANTAL BEBOUWDE REEKSEN 9999999**** • Trailer record – Transactions Postcode Table at SERIES level: ****AANTAL MUTATIES 9999999; AANTAL BESTANDRECORDS 9999999; AANTAL BEBOUWDE REEKSEN 9999999**** • Trailer record – Postcode Table at HOUSE NUMBER level: ****AANTAL BESTANDRECORDS 9999999; AANTAL PERCELEN 9999999; POSTBUSREEKSEN

9999999; WOONSCHEPEN 9999999; WOONWAGENS 9999999; ONBEBOUWDE REEKSEN 9999999****

• Trailer record – Transactions for Postcode Table at HOUSE NUMBER level: ****AANTAL MUTATIES 9999999; AANTAL BESTANDRECORDS 9999999; AANTAL PERCELEN 9999999; POSTBUSREEKSEN 9999999; WOONSCHEPEN 9999999; WOONWAGENS 9999999; ONBEBOUWDE REEKSEN 9999999****

• Trailer record – Renumbering Table

****AANTAL MUTATIES 9999999****


Explanation of totals

AANTAL BESTANDRECORDS: the total number of records that the Postcode and Address File should contain after processing the entire transaction file (excluding header and trailer records). AANTAL MUTATIES: the number of transaction records supplied, excluding header and footer record.

AANTAL BEBOUWDE REEKSEN: the number of series for which the series indicator is not equal to ‘ ’ (space). AANTAL PERCELEN: the number of lots that should be listed in the Postcode and Address File after processing the entire file or the transaction file.

AANTAL POSTBUSREEKSEN: the number of records for which the PostNL street name should filled with ‘POSTBUS’ after processing the entire file or the transaction file.

AANTAL WOONSCHEPEN: the number of records for which the series indicator should be equal to ‘2’ after processing the entire file or the transaction file. AANTAL WOONWAGENS: the number of records for which the series indicator should be equal to ‘3’

after processing the entire file or the transaction file. AANTAL ONBEBOUWDE REEKSEN: the number of records for which the letter combination of the postcode should be indicated with spaces after processing the entire file or the transaction file. NB: see glossary at end for translation of Dutch terms

Sorting the transaction files Postcode and Address File at SERIES level The transaction file is sorted by place name/district code, letter combination, series type, code

breakpoint VAN, PostNL street name and type of transaction from the old or new situation.

Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level The transaction file is sorted by place name/district code, letter combination, series type and code breakpoint VAN, lot number, PostNL street name and type of transaction form the old or new situation. Sequential processing For the update transaction in the Postcode and Address File, the decision was made to maintain the

link between the ‘old’ situation and the ‘new’. An update is passed on within one record. Changes cannot be processed sequentially because the postcode of the new situation might refer to a random location (out of proper sorting order) in the file.

In the case of sequential processing, you will need to make two separate records for each change, a delete and an add transaction. You will then need to sort all records once again in accordance with the

sorting for transaction files.

Sorting of characters The sorting order is first spaces, then numbers and finally letters.


8. The transaction process

Introduction Maintenance of the Postcode and Address File is by subscription to the monthly transactions. Cendris does not provide software to update the table.

Changes (transactions) to the Postcode and Address File are always supplied at the lowest level. In the case of the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level, the lowest level is the house number series and for the Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level this is the house number + extension. In the transaction process, we distinguish three types of transactions, update, add and delete. A transaction record is made up of four parts: transaction type, transaction indicator, the old situation

and the new situation. In the case of an update, all fields in both the old and the new situation are filled in. The transaction indicators correspond with the fields and indicate the changes at field level.

Because the transactions are supplied at the lowest level, when a place name (city, town, etc.) has changed, this is not just indicated in one record: all records within this location are supplied with changes to the place name. The change to the Postcode and Address File is made through the transaction types and, depending on the way in which the data in the file has been stored, the

transaction indicators can also be used. In many cases, the Postcode and Address File is only used to add standardised address information to a database. A Postcode and Address File at SERIES level is sufficient for this purpose. If the database does not include address information, but only the postcode and house number, you must keep in mind that these fields can change. This means that you should check after each transaction process to ensure that these combinations still appear in the Postcode and Address File.

Transaction process for Postcode and Address File at SERIES level The description of this process refers to the processing of the monthly transactions at SERIES level, as

supplied by Cendris. The following sections describe what matters should be taken into consideration during the development/writing of the software.

Fields to be used in the transaction process The transaction process makes use of various fields that appear in the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level. On the basis of the field transaction type, you can see what type of transaction you are faced with in the transaction file. You should anticipate 3,000 to 5,000 transactions per month.

There are basically three types of transactions: • 0 Delete (only old situation filled in) • 1 Update (old and new situation filled in) • 2 Add

(old and new situation are the same)


Type of series

It is important to know whether you are dealing with an update, a delete or an add transaction. There are some update transactions we cannot pass on and, instead, these are supplied as delete and add transactions. In the transaction process, we distinguish five types of series, i.e. PO Box, houseboat/home caravan, house number and undeveloped. For each type of series, we state whether it involves an update and when it involves a deletion and addition. The consequence of defining these

series as such is that, as a rule (we provide the exceptions later), changes within the same type of series are passed on as update transactions. However, if a series changes to become a different type, this is passed on as a delete and add transaction. For example, if a developed street becomes an undeveloped street, this is a delete / add transaction. PO Boxes

The file includes about 26,000 PO Boxes.

You can recognise the PO Boxes by the POSTBUS/Postbus in the street name field in the Postcode and Address File. It is important to know what a series uniquely identifies (this is known as the ‘key’). In the case of PO Box series, this unique key consists of the postcode (6 characters) + house number series VAN (code breakpoint VAN - from). A change in any field in this PO Box series is passed on as

an update transaction. There is one exception to this rule: when a PO Box series is being split up or several merged together, the relationship of old and new disappears. In such a case you will receive one or more delete / add transactions. This however seldom occurs. Houseboats / Home caravans The Postcode and Address File at SERIES level includes about 525 series of houseboat / home

caravans. These can be recognised by the field ‘series type’ in which you will find one of four possible values, i.e. 0, 1, 2 or 3. The value 2 stands for houseboat and 3 for home caravan. Transactions in this series are passed on as an update, with the one exception being a change to the postcode, which is passed on as a delete and add transaction.

HOUSE NUMBER series

The Postcode and Address File at SERIES level includes approx. 620,000 house number series. The series type is either 0 or 1 and the PostNL street name field will not list Postbus. A house number series is a unique number consisting of the combination postcode (6) + house number VAN (from). The transactions are passed on as an update, also in the case of a change to the postcode. However, if a series of house numbers is being split up or several series merged, this is a delete/add transaction.

As with the PO Boxes this situation seldom occurs. Undeveloped series The Postcode and Address File includes about 20,000 ‘undeveloped’ series. The place name/district code (first four digits of the postcode) in combination with the PostNL street name makes a

‘undeveloped’ series unique. Most transactions are given as an update, with the exception being when

the place name/district code changes. Once again, this is a delete/add transaction.


Transaction process for Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level

Lot transactions As with the Postcode and Address File at SERIES level, we distinguish four types of records, i.e. undeveloped streets, houseboats/home caravans, PO Boxes and lots. The house number series have been replaced by lots. A lot record includes the house number and, if applicable, an extension. The

transaction process for the first three types of records is the same as for the Postcode and Address File Table at SERIES level. Lot records

The Postcode and Address File includes about 7.5 million lot records, each with a unique nine-digit lot code. Once a lot code has been assigned to a particular lot, it will never be assigned to a different lot. All transactions for a lot record are passed on as an update transaction, also in the case of a change to

the postcode. After the last lot record has been deleted, in a number of cases an undeveloped street record will be added, in which case the transaction is a delete/add and not an update transaction.


9. HOUSE NUMBER extensions

The field for house number extensions (HTN) in the Postcode and Address File allows for six characters. In the NEN 5825 this field length is four characters. There is no standard notation for house number extensions. In addition to the official house number extensions in the Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level, the residents sometimes use their own extensions. PostNL is a proponent of standardisation of the house number extension. In Annexe 2, you will find a frequency table of the top

100 house number extensions in the KPN Telecom 8008 file and the abbreviations applied by PostNL.


10. Comments and recommendations

Use the test set, which can be downloaded at www.cendris.com.

Because house numbers can change (see Renumbering), we advise that, in the case of primary

keys, you do not make use of the code breakpoint VAN (from), code breakpoint T/M (to) or house numbers.

When sorting by postcode, series type and code breakpoint VAN (from), you should watch out for

duplicate records in the case of undeveloped streets in the same district (letter combination and series type are then empty and the code breakpoints filled with noughts). If your system does not allow for duplicate records, extending the key or sorting by street name will be sufficient to avoid these.

In most cases, the official street name is the same as the street name under NEN 5825. By storing

only the NEN street name, memory resources can be saved.

When saving the Postcode and Address File data in a database with separate tables for place

names, streets and postcodes, you should keep in mind the N:M relationship between the entity WIJK and STRAAT (and between WOONPLAATS and STRAAT) and between POSTCODE and STRAAT.

Make sure that your system will also accept addresses that do not appear in the Postcode and

Address File. PostNL maintains constant contact with local municipal authorities for the official spelling of place names (city, town, etc.) and streets and the correct indication of house numbers. The Postcode and Address File only includes information registered in a municipal ordinance. However, this precision can result in a ‘time leak’, meaning that the information in the Postcode and Address File may not completely up-to-date.

In the Postcode and Address File at HOUSE NUMBER level, the lot number can be used to trace

changes to the house numbers (Renumbering) or record the history of a lot number. This is a unique serial number for each lot and will never change. If a lot number disappears (demolition) the

number is not used again.

All transactions are passed on at the lowest level (series or house number, according to the type of Postcode and Address File. This means that if, for example, there is a change to place name, all series or house numbers (plus extensions) within this city, town, etc. are included as transactions in the transaction file.

When a transaction process is being initiated, use the header record to ensure that the correct transaction file is being processed. If a transaction file is processed twice or if you skip a transaction

file, mistakes/omissions could occur in your Postcode and Address File.

When you are ready to finish the transaction process, you can use the totals in the footer record to ensure that the transaction file has been processed properly.

Make a copy of your Postcode and Address File before processing the transactions. Should an error

arise during the processing of the transactions, you can then go back to the ‘old’ Postcode and

Address File.

During the processing of the transactions, it is possible that there will be, temporarily, two lots with the same number on the same street. Using the unique lot number, your system can process the transaction for the right lot.


If the municipality passes an ordinance to provide an official house number to a houseboat/home

caravan without a house number (series types 2 or 3), this is, in principle, an update. In such a case, the series type changes to ‘0’ or ’1’. It is not possible to supply this type of transaction with transaction type ‘1’ because, since there had been no house number in the past, a lot number was never assigned. This makes this a delete/add transaction.

Lot numbers versus renumbering

A lot (home) is demolished and rebuilt. There is no delivery to this lot for a time; therefore, initially the lot will have to be deleted and later entered again under a new lot number.

A lot is divided into several lots (16 becomes 16A, 16B and 16C). The lot with house number 16 can be renumbered as 16A. This can be processed as an update under the original lot number. The other lots are additions; each assigned a new lot number. It is

also possible that the old lot number (16) will be deleted and a new lot with a new lot number entered.


11. Terms of delivery

The information regarding the Postcode and Address File is provided exclusively for use within your organisation. This information may only be provided to a third party (for a charge or free of charge) upon receipt of written permission from Cendris. The Licensing Conditions for End Users and The General Conditions of Cendris apply to this information.


Annexe 1

Deriving names - General Street name according to PostNL conventions (17 characters in capitals) The name is initially derived automatically from the official street name, but can be changed thereafter by a central or a local postcode employee. The automatically derived street name is the same as the

name used in the present system. Extract of the street name (5 characters in capitals) The name is initially extracted automatically from the official street name in accordance with the PostNL conventions, but can be changed thereafter by the central postcode employee. The automatically extracted street name is essentially different from the name used in the present system.

There are about 3,000 existing extracts that differ fundamentally from the name used in the present system.

Street name extract Basic principles: The extract of the street name (street name extract) is derived from the street name in accordance

with the PostNL conventions (PostNL street name). The street name extract is written completely in capitals. Extract The PostNL street name is studied from right to left. First determine the rightmost element that meets the following three requirements: it consists of more than one letter

it does not consist of one or more digits it does not consist of the following letter combinations: AB BOULEV DE DK DWSTR DWWG

EN ERF GR HET HOEVE HOF KAN KAST KD LN N ZOORD

OZ PAD PK PLNTS PLN PLDR SNGL STG STR STRWG TE TEN TER WG WW WZ ZZ Should none of the elements meet these requirements, just determine the leftmost/first element. The street name extract consists of the five sequential characters starting with the first element as determined using the aforementioned method.

It is thus possible for a street name extract to have a space in the third, fourth and/or fifth position. The central postcode employee is authorised to change the street name extract, regardless of the PostNL street name. A few examples

PostNL street name extract

ACHTER D BOOGAARD BOOGA ACHTER DE BERGEN BERGE ACHTER DE LINDE LINDE BEMUURDE WEERD OZ WEERD BENEDEN POLD WG A POLD

BERG EN BOS BOS DE HOEVE DE HO DE HOF DE HO


Place name extract

Basic principles The extract of the place name (place name extract) is derived from the place name in accordance with PostNL conventions (PostNL place name). The place name extract is written completely in capitals. Extract

When the process involves a simple PostNL place name, the place name extract is always the first four characters of the PostNL place name. When the process involves a compound PostNL place name, the name is studied from left to right. The place name extract consists of the first four characters of the first element of the PostNL place name that does not consist of a single letter, the word ‘de’, the word ‘den’ or the word ‘st’.

It is thus possible for a street name extract to have a space in the third and/or fourth position. The place name extract is inextricably bound to the PostNL place name and thus cannot be independently

changed.


Annexe 2

HOUSE NUMBER extensions PostNL only considers the extensions assigned to the house number by the municipality. The extension should also appear on the actual house number plate on the house. The house number extensions are abbreviated as follows:

A, B, etc. unchanged I, II, etc. (Roman numeral) unchanged Bis (b) BIS Rood (red) R Zwart (black) Z

Huis (house) HS Beneden (ground floor) HS Boven (upstairs) I (Roman numeral)

Bel, Beletage (main floor) BEL Souterrain (basement) ST A III AIII 1, 2, 3, unchanged

One position is used for each alphanumeric character. The extension can be a maximum of six characters. The extension can consist of alternating letters and numbers/numerals. No other characters/symbols are permitted.


Top 20 house number extensions in the Postcode Table:

Rating Extension Number Rating Extension Number 001 6,727,137 011 F 12,003 002 A 268,611 012 G 8,727 003 B 126,519 013 IV 7,506 004 C 64,687 014 BIS 7,424

005 I 61,943 015 H 6,849 006 II 49,537 016 R 5,871 007 HS 42,636 017 1 5,807 008 III 36,706 018 2 4,843 009 D 36,177 019 3 3,959 010 E 18,519 020 Z 3,779

Glossary of Dutch Terms

Aantal Number of

bebouwde reeksen developed series

Bestandrecords File records

Mutaties Transactions (updates)

Onbebouwde reeksen Undeveloped series

Percelen Lots

Postbus PO Box

Postbusreeksen PO Box series

Woonschepen Houseboats

Woonwagens Home caravans

postcode information manual

Documents