Using Spatial Data with SAS/GIS Software

Addresses in Spatial Data

To use geocoding in SAS/GIS, you must set up your spatial database to contain address information. SAS/GIS uses CLASS values for composites to identify address information on the spatial database. One of the composites must be defined as CLASS=CITY to point to the city name, and one of the composites must be defined as CLASS=ADDRESS to point to the location portion of the address. Composites that are defined with other CLASS values improve accuracy. You can use the SPATIAL CONTENTS statement in PROC GIS to view the composites that are defined for your spatial database.

The following composite CLASS values identify elements of the address information:

NAME

Identifies the name component of the address feature, such as Main in the address 101 N Main Ave.

TYPE

Identifies the type component of the address feature, such as Ave in the address, 101 N Main Ave.

ADDRESS

Identifies the specific address of the feature, such as 101 in the address, 101 N Main Ave.

A chain has four values to define the address range for each side:

FROMLEFT Beginning address on the left side

TOLEFT Ending address on the left side

FROMRIGHT Beginning address on the right side

TORIGHT Ending address on the right side.

DIRECTION_PREFIX

Identifies the directional prefix component of the address feature, such as N in the address 101 N Main Ave.

DIRECTION_SUFFIX

Identifies the directional suffix component of the address feature, such as W in the address 1141 First St W.

CITY|PLACE

Identifies the value as a city name.

STATE

Identifies the value as a state name.

ZIP

Identifies the value as a ZIP code value.

PLUS4

Identifies the value as a ZIP+4 extended postal code value.

To perform geocoding, you must set up your spatial database to contain composites for CITY and ADDRESS at the minimum. Composites that are defined with additional CLASS values will help to improve the accuracy of the geocoding.

You can use the SPATIAL CONTENTS statement of PROC GIS to determine whether your spatial database contains the minimum composites that are necessary to perform geocoding. Submit the following statements in the SAS Program Editor for the spatial entry that you wish to geocode against:

proc gis catalog=libref.catalog;
spatial contents spatial-entry;
run;
quit;

The output that is produced by the SPATIAL CONTENTS statement will include a list of all of the composites that are defined for the specified spatial entry. If the spatial database includes address information, this list will include some or all of the composites that are defined with the required CLASS values for address information.

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FROMLEFT	Beginning address on the left side
TOLEFT	Ending address on the left side
FROMRIGHT	Beginning address on the right side
TORIGHT	Ending address on the right side.