topic Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect in ArcGIS JavaScript Maps SDK Questions

JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

JamesSampica — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 20:36:53 GMT

Using this sample...

ArcGIS API for JavaScript Sandbox

change the geocoder as follows...

geocoder = new Geocoder({

autoComplete: true,

map: map ,

arcgisGeocoder: {

sourceCountry: "USA"

}

}, "search");

typing anything into the geocoder still causes it to match addresses from other countries.

Is there a workaround for this?

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

RiyasDeen — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 03:46:11 GMT

try this work around.

On map load event call query any feature layer where you can get shape of the USA country boundary.
Get extent of the shape as arcgisGeocoder.searchExtent this will restrict geocode
Set autoNavigate: false property to false.
Attach to find-results event.





geocoder.on("find-results", function (response)



        {
          response.results.results[0].feature.symbol = new SimpleMarkerSymbol("circle", 20, null, new Color([255, 0, 0, 0.25]))
          map.graphics.add(response.results.results[0].feature);
          materAt(response.results.results[0].feature.geometry); 
        })

Use GeometryTask to check if returned geometry is within US boundary identified in step 1.
Discard the one's not within US boundary.

I have not implemented this workaround anywhere, hopefully this should work for you.

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

RiyasDeen — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 03:47:20 GMT

line 8 in above snippet should be map.centerAt(response.results.results[0].feature.geometry);

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

KellyHutchins — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:59:40 GMT

James,

Looks like a bug. We'll work on getting this fixed for a future release but in the meantime you can work-around the issue using setRequestPreCallback to add the country code to the request. Here's an example:


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"/>
    <title>ArcGIS API for JavaScript | Simple Geocoding</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://js.arcgis.com/3.10/js/esri/css/esri.css">
    <style>
      html, body, #map {
        height:100%;
        width:100%;
        margin:0;
        padding:0;
      }
      #search {
        display: block;
        position: absolute;
        z-index: 2;
        top: 20px;
        left: 74px;
      }
    </style>
    <script src="http://js.arcgis.com/3.10/"></script>
    <script>
      var map, geocoder;

      require([
        "esri/map", "esri/dijit/Geocoder", "esri/request", "dojo/domReady!"
      ], function(Map, Geocoder, esriRequest) {
        map = new Map("map",{
          basemap: "gray",
          center: [-120.435, 46.159], // lon, lat
          zoom: 7 
        });


        esriRequest.setRequestPreCallback(function(ioArgs){
  
          if(ioArgs.url === "http://geocode.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World/GeocodeServer/findAddressCandidates"){
            ioArgs.content.CountryCode = "US";
          console.log(ioArgs);
          }
          return ioArgs;
        });

        geocoder = new Geocoder({ 
          map: map,
          arcgisGeocoder:{
            sourceCountry: "US" 
          }
        }, "search");
        geocoder.startup();
      });
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="search"></div>
    <div id="map"></div>
  </body>
</html>

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

Noah-Sager — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:20:11 GMT

I found that setting the country suffix helps:

geocoder = new Geocoder({

autoComplete: true,

map: map ,

arcgisGeocoder: {

sourceCountry: "USA",

suffix: "United States",

}

}, "search");

When the geocoder dijit has the auto-complete property set to true the geocoder calls the suggest operation in REST. The suggest operation accepts 4 parameters, the search text, a starting location, a distance from the starting location, and a category. Thus it is not possible to limit the autocomplete suggestions using a source country or a search extent. The only way to limit results is via a starting location and a search distance, or a filtering category. Please refer your customer to the documentation here:

https://developers.arcgis.com/rest/geocode/api-reference/geocoding-suggest.htm

The searchExtent and sourceCountry parameters can help narrow results in the find and findAddressCandidates rest operations. The documentation for these can be found here:

https://developers.arcgis.com/rest/geocode/api-reference/geocoding-find.htm

When autocomplete is enabled each time a character is typed into the geocoder input text box the suggest operation is called which returns suggestions for the user. When the user presses enter the findAddressCandidates operation is called which returns potential matches. The address with the highest candidate score is displayed on the map.

Hope this helps!

-Noah

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

TracySchloss — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 21:31:54 GMT

I can't believe how confusing this is. It doesn't look to me like the esriRequest for the preCallback is doing anything, or at least nothing to fix the issue of suggested matches outside the US.

I'd also like to see this work for a ZIP code search. When you try that, you see some conflicting feedback. For example, 65043. If I just enter that, I get a whole bunch of suggested locations in Brazil. But if I click the find icon, I am properly taken to the location I expect in central Missouri. The users are going to LOVE that.

I tried adding a suffix of Missouri, but that just gives additional confusing results.

Is this part of the bug?

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

KellyHutchins — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 21:39:07 GMT

Tracy,

You shouldn't need to use the workaround with setRequestPreCallback if you are using version 3.11 of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript. For the issue you are seeing with inconsistent search results can you post a code sample that shows the problem along with the input you used?

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

KellyHutchins — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 22:32:12 GMT

Tracy,

It looks like the inconsistency you are experiencing is because the suggest operation doesn't currently support the search extent or source country. So the results you get in the list can be outside the specified search area. However at the next release of ArcGIS Online (due out very soon) support will be added for searchExtent. Once this update happens if you specify a searchExtent the suggest results will honor that extent too. So you could restrict your search to just Missouri.

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

Noah-Sager — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:41:09 GMT

To add my 2 cents to Kelly's statement, it looks possible to add a suffix parameter to the Geocoder widget constructor.

// create the geocoder  
        var geocoder =  new Geocoder({  
          autoComplete: true,  
          map: map,  
          arcgisGeocoder: {  
            placeholder: "Find a place",  
            sourceCountry:"US",  
            suffix:",Missouri, USA"
          }   
        }, dom.byId("search"));

-Noah

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

TracySchloss — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 22:45:58 GMT

I'm not sure I understand exactly what Kelly is saying, but maybe there are parameters that are honored in the 'find', that are ignored at the point while it's still in 'suggest' mode? I've tried several variations of sourceCountry and suffix as a parameter for my Geocoder definition, but nothing refines both the suggestions and returned results. I ended up taking them out, because it didn't look like it was helping.

In your screenshot, you are getting completely different suggestions compared to what I have seen. Again, I have to wonder why. Is it the scale threshold you're at when you enter the ZIP? You're obviously not centered on Missouri, so it's not an extent. Somewhere in the calls and responses something is broken. Hopefully it will be fixed in the next release (the standard answer we all take with a grain of salt).

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

KellyHutchins — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 22:49:36 GMT

Tracy,

Correct at the current release there are some parameters (like searchExtent) that are honored by find but not suggest. After the next release of ArcGIS Online searchExtent will be honored by suggest so the suggestions you see will be limited to the search extent you provide. Support for sourceCountry should be available at a later date.

So for the next release try updating your app to specify a search extent. Doing so should make the provided suggestions more relevant.

Kelly

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

Noah-Sager — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:41:12 GMT

What do you get when you run this? I didn't modify anything except the "suffix" parameter.

<!DOCTYPE html>  
<html>  
  <head>  
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">  
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"/>  
    <title>Geocode Dijit</title>  
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://js.arcgis.com/3.11/esri/css/esri.css">  
    <style>  
      html, body, #map {  
        height:100%;  
        width:100%;  
        margin:0;  
        padding:0;  
      }  
      #search {  
        display: block;  
        position: absolute;  
        z-index: 2;  
        top: 20px;  
        left: 74px;  
      }  
    </style>  
    <script type="text/javascript">  
var djConfig = {  
  parseOnLoad: false  
};  
</script>  
    <script src="http://js.arcgis.com/3.11/"></script>  
    <script>  
      var map, geocoder;  
    require(["dojo/parser","esri/map", "esri/dijit/Geocoder", "esri/layers/GraphicsLayer","esri/graphic",  
    "esri/symbols/SimpleMarkerSymbol","esri/InfoTemplate","dojo/_base/Color", "dojo/_base/array", "dojo/dom",  
    "esri/request", "dojo/domReady!"  
  ], function(  
    parser,Map,Geocoder,GraphicsLayer,Graphic,SimpleMarkerSymbol,InfoTemplate,Color,arrayUtils,dom,esriRequest  
        ) {  
        
        parser.parse();      
        
        // create the map  
        map = new Map("map",{  
          basemap: "topo",  
          center: [-92.593, 38.5],  
          zoom: 8,  
        });  
        
        // create the geocoder  
        var geocoder =  new Geocoder({  
          autoComplete: true,  
          map: map,  
          arcgisGeocoder: {  
            placeholder: "Find a place",  
            sourceCountry:"US",  
            suffix:", Missouri, USA"
          }   
        }, dom.byId("search"));  
        
        geocoder.startup();  
        geocoder.focus();  
        geocoder.on("select", showLocation);  
          
        var symbol = new SimpleMarkerSymbol();  
        symbol.setStyle(SimpleMarkerSymbol.STYLE_CIRCLE);   
        symbol.setColor(new Color([255,128,0,0.75]));    
        
        function showLocation(evt) {  
          map.graphics.clear();  
          var point = evt.result.feature.geometry;  
          var graphic = new Graphic(point, symbol);  
          map.graphics.add(graphic);  
  
  
       //   map.infoWindow.setTitle("Search Result");  
          map.infoWindow.setContent(evt.result.name);  
          map.infoWindow.show(evt.result.feature.geometry);  
        }  
  
  
       geocoder.on('clear', function (evt){  
          map.graphics.clear();  
          map.infoWindow.hide();  
         });  
        });  
  
  
    </script>  
  </head>  
  <body>  
    <div id="search"></div>  
    <div id="map"></div>  
  </body>  
</html>

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

TracySchloss — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 14:17:35 GMT

I'd say my results are still rather random. For example, the zip 65043, works. But that doesn't take care of everything. When I try this address: 2727 N Main St, Sikeston, MO, 'suggest' offers that address. Great, I think it's works!

But, when I click to complete the search, it takes me to Missouri Valley, Iowa. I'm sure that's a very nice place, but not the one I'm searching for. There is definitely a difference between suggest and find.

Re: JS API: sourceCountry in Geocoder has no effect

TracySchloss — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:41:06 GMT

Yes, I'm using version 3.11. The versions of the API change so fast, it's hard to keep track of the threads that might relate to an older version. I'm trying to figure out what's going on behind the scenes. Shouldn't this work for ZIP codes? I've been using Locator this whole time, because I feel like I get less flaky results compared to the Geocoder dijit. Working with state-wide data, users want to be able to enter a ZIP to get to a particular part of the state. In my example, 65043, it returns just a set of codes for Brazil:

If I then click to search, it does take me to the right location in central MO, not Brazil.

If I try the same search again, this time I get the match in the list of choices along with all those Brazil codes. Why? I started out centered on the state in the first place, so I would think that extent and the sourceCountry would be enough to limit to US ZIP codes.

Here is my code. It's basically the example from Geocoder widget | Guide | ArcGIS API for JavaScript

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"/>
    <title>Geocode Dijit</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://js.arcgis.com/3.11/esri/css/esri.css">
    <style>
      html, body, #map {
        height:100%;
        width:100%;
        margin:0;
        padding:0;
      }
      #search {
        display: block;
        position: absolute;
        z-index: 2;
        top: 20px;
        left: 74px;
      }
    </style>
    <script type="text/javascript">
var djConfig = {
  parseOnLoad: false
};
</script>
    <script src="http://js.arcgis.com/3.11/"></script>
    <script>
      var map, geocoder;
    require(["dojo/parser","esri/map", "esri/dijit/Geocoder", "esri/layers/GraphicsLayer","esri/graphic",
    "esri/symbols/SimpleMarkerSymbol","esri/InfoTemplate","dojo/_base/Color", "dojo/_base/array", "dojo/dom",
    "esri/request", "dojo/domReady!"
  ], function(
    parser,Map,Geocoder,GraphicsLayer,Graphic,SimpleMarkerSymbol,InfoTemplate,Color,arrayUtils,dom,esriRequest
        ) {
     parser.parse();


          var symbol = new SimpleMarkerSymbol();
          symbol.setStyle(SimpleMarkerSymbol.STYLE_CIRCLE); 
          symbol.setColor(new Color([255,128,0,0.75]));  
        // create the map
        map = new Map("map",{
          basemap: "topo",
      center: [-92.593, 38.5],
      zoom: 7,
        });
        // create the geocoder
        var geocoder =  new Geocoder({
          autoComplete: true,
          map: map,
          arcgisGeocoder: {
            placeholder: "Find a place",
          sourceCountry:"US",
          } 
        }, dom.byId("search"));
        geocoder.startup();
        geocoder.focus();
        geocoder.on("select", showLocation);
        
        function showLocation(evt) {
          map.graphics.clear();
          var point = evt.result.feature.geometry;
          var graphic = new Graphic(point, symbol);
          map.graphics.add(graphic);


       //   map.infoWindow.setTitle("Search Result");
          map.infoWindow.setContent(evt.result.name);
          map.infoWindow.show(evt.result.feature.geometry);
        }


       geocoder.on('clear', function (evt){
          map.graphics.clear();
          map.infoWindow.hide();
         });
        });


    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="search"></div>
    <div id="map"></div>
  </body>
</html>