GeocoderString

GeocoderString is a ProcessWire module that allows you to geocode arbitrary strings (addresses, postcodes, place names) or reverse-geocode coordinates into human-readable addresses.

It uses the configuration, providers, and libraries from the FieldtypeGeocoder module, so all authentication keys and provider settings are reused automatically.

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Requirements

• ProcessWire 3.x
• FieldtypeGeocoder module (must be installed and configured)

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Installation

1. Install and configure FieldtypeGeocoder (choose a provider and enter API keys).
2. Copy GeocoderString.module into your site’s site/modules/GeocoderString/ folder.
3. In the ProcessWire admin, go to Modules → Refresh, then install GeocoderString.

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Usage

Load the module from the $modules API:

$geocoder = $modules->get('GeocoderString');

1. Basic Geocoding

$result = $geocoder->geocode('1017 XE Amsterdam');

if ($result) {
    echo "Lat: " . $result['lat'] . "\n";
    echo "Lng: " . $result['lng'] . "\n";
    echo "Address: " . $result['formatted_address'] . "\n";
}

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2. Geocoding with Country Restriction

$result = $geocoder->geocode('Amsterdam', ['country' => 'NL']);

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3. Reverse Geocoding

$address = $geocoder->reverseGeocode(52.3702, 4.8952);

if ($address) {
    echo $address['formatted_address'];
}

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Caching Results with WireCache

Geocoding APIs often have rate limits. To avoid repeated requests, you can cache results using ProcessWire’s WireCache:

Cache a Forward Geocode

$cacheKey = 'geocode_1017XE';
$result = $cache->get($cacheKey);

if (!$result) {
    $result = $geocoder->geocode('1017 XE Amsterdam');
    if ($result) {
        // cache for 1 day
        $cache->save($cacheKey, $result, WireCache::expireDay);
    }
}

echo $result['lat'] . ', ' . $result['lng'];

Cache a Reverse Geocode

$lat = 52.3702;
$lng = 4.8952;
$cacheKey = "reverse_{$lat}_{$lng}";

$address = $cache->get($cacheKey);

if (!$address) {
    $address = $geocoder->reverseGeocode($lat, $lng);
    if ($address) {
        // cache for 1 week
        $cache->save($cacheKey, $address, 604800); // seconds
    }
}

echo $address['formatted_address'];

Notes on Caching

• Use unique cache keys per query (e.g., include postcode or lat/lng).
• Adjust cache expiry to balance freshness and API quota usage.
• All cached results are stored in ProcessWire’s standard cache system.

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Error Handling

• If no result is found, methods return null.
• Errors are logged to the ProcessWire log: site/assets/logs/GeocoderString.txt.

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License

MIT License – see LICENSE file for details.