ArcGIS 10.2 Standardize Address Tool changes abbreviations to full suffix types

[BenjaminDwinal]

I am working in ArcGIS 10.2.1.  I am attempting to standardize address suffixes with this tool. (Tool reads "Street" it writes the suffixType = "ST", Tool reads "Highway" it writes suffixtype = "HWY" ).  This tool, as an independent EXE, worked great at 9.x.

We have upgraded to 10.2.1 and the EXE has been converted to a tool.  Problem is that the tool is not operating properly.  It actually appears to reverse an existing standardized suffix type.

Example:  

10.2.1 Standardize Address tool reads "BLVD" and it writes "Boulevard" to the output field.

9.x Standardize Address tool reads "BLVD" it knows this is already standardized and writes "BLVD" to output field.

[MichaelVolz]

Is this tool based off of an address locator or a geocode service?

[BenjaminDwinal]

It uses an address locator style like "US dual range".

Example usage:

Standardize Addresses—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

[MichaelVolz]

Did you recreate your address locator in 10.2.1 on a different computer than where the address locator was created in 9.x?  If so, you might want to make sure you are using the same cls file as that is where the road suffix types are defined. Maybe you had customized this file in 9.x, but you are now using the out-of-the-box cls file that would be installed by default on the computer where you are now running 10.2.1.

[BenjaminDwinal · Accepted solution]

Thanks Michael. I think you nailed it on the head. The locator style we were using uses a *.cls file that maps the standardized address suffixes and prefixes.

We are going to alter this file to have the street types we want.

[JocelynHwang]

Hi Benjamin. I'm having a similar problem where the cardinal directions (N,NW,W) are being fully spelled out (North, Northwest, West) by the Standardize Address Tool. How do you know which .cls file the tool is using?

[EvaJuhasz]

I have found a very useful article related this topic: 

How To: Edit the geocoding standard abbreviations for street types