FlexMail offers a wide range of settings that you can use to influence the formatting of each element returned by the postal address file. These are individually configurable for each of the listed fields. The following field formatting options are available for the UK:

Address options

The following general address format options are available:

• Text for PO Boxes
  This setting allows you to specify a constant text, which will prefix the Post Office Box number. The length of the PO box text is not limited, but you have to make sure that your database fields are long enough to accept the string. One space will be inserted between the end of the text and the PO Box number.

• Remove duplicate lines
  Due to the address information in PAF, some formatted addresses may end up with duplicate lines, i.e. following lines with exactly the same information in it. To remove these duplicate lines from your formatted address, select this option.

• Leave organisation, clear DPS
  Select this option if you want to keep the company name if no DPS could be assigned for the address when the address includes a(nother) company name in the postal file. In that case, no DPS will be assigned to the address.

Field options

For the individual address elements one or more of the following options are available:

• Capitalization
  You can use the Capitalization option to change the capitalization of an address element. The Capitalization option uses the following settings:

  • Postal. Returns the text with the capitalization as it is in the Postal Addresses data file.

  • Upper Case. Changes the text to upper case letters.

  • Lower Case. Changes the text to lower case letters.

  • Initial Caps. Capitalizes the first letter of each word.

  NOTE: Post town and Postcode in a UK address should be capitalized

• Replacement
  You can use the Replacement option to replace elements of an address element. The Replacement option uses the following settings:

  • Yes. Replaces the text returned by the postal file according to the defined Replacements list for this address element.

  • No. Returns the texts for the address element as it is in the postal addresses data file.

  NOTE: You can review or modify the list of replacements per field type by clicking the browse button next to the option control. For more information, see Replacing and removing elements.

• Remove unwanted
  You can use the Remove unwanted option to change the capitalization of an address element. The Remove unwanted option uses the following settings:

  • Yes. Removes unwanted text from the element returned by the Postal Addresses data file according to the defined Unwanted Elements list for this field type.

  • No. Returns the texts for the address element as it is in the Postal Addresses data file.

  NOTE: You can review or modify the list of unwanted elements per field type by clicking the browse button next to the option control. For more information, see Replacing and removing elements.

• Add Element
  You can use the Add Element option to add the County to an address. The Add Element option uses the following settings:

  • Former postal. Returns the former Postal County. This is no longer required for postal addresses, but the information is still provided.

  • Traditional. Returns the Traditional County, as it existed for the area covered by this postcode in 1888.

  • No. Does not add a county to the address.