Sortcode FAQs
Has Sortcode been tested and
approved by the Royal Mail?
Yes, Sortcode has
successfully passed all the tests required by the Royal Mail Mailsort Technical
Department. Copies of the certificates are available on request - please contact
our Sales Administration department.
What is the maximum number
of addresses Sortcode is capable of sorting?
Theoretically, Sortcode can
sort up to 2,147,483,647 address records, assuming that there is enough disk space to
store the output files. The disk space required by Sortcode in order to perform a
sorting process is approximately [The size of the Original File]*3.
How fast is Sortcode?
Sortcode is fast,
undoubtedly one of the fastest available. The 32-bit version for Windows 9x/NT is capable
of sorting an address file of 2.8 million records in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes,
using a Pentium 133. And we are constantly optimising the sorting routines in
Sortcode to perform even quicker!
Does Sortcode support
Walksort?
Yes - in fact, Sortcode was
one of the first Mailsort products to support Walksort.
Does Sortcode support
Mailsort CBC?
Yes, Mailsort CBC has been
available since version 2.0.
Does Sortcode produce the
Final bag labels?
No, Sortcode does not
produce the actual Final bag labels. However, Sortcode does produce the CFL Batch
file which is used by the Royal Mail to produce the Final bag labels.
How does Sortcode deal with
foreign addresses?
Foreign or invalid
addresses are place at the bottom of the sorted file, or they can be stored in a separate
file called a Rejects File. These addresses are each assigned the Pseudo Selection Code,
99999.
Can Sortcode be used on a
network? I want to be able install it on our server and access it from any of the
PCs on the same network.
No, this is not possible.
We recommend that each PC you wish to use Sortcode on has its own copy installed.
If I wish to use Sortcode on more
than one PC, do I need a separate license for each one?
No, not necessarily, as
long as you have a Sortcode "site license". If you don't already have one
please contact your Capscan account manager for further details.
Here's what to do:
- Install Sortcode on one of
your PCs (the "master PC") and register it using your site license User Key.
- Copy the Sortcode license
file (capscn04.lic - located in the Windows System directory) from your master PC to each
of the PCs you wish to use Sortcode on.
I want to be able to
integrate Sortcode into my application. Is it available as an API?
Yes, a number of Sortcode
APIs are available. For Microsoft Windows we have a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) and a
static library, and we also have static libraries available for various other operating
systems, including AIX, Dynix, Linux, Solaris and Compaq TRU64. Please click here for more details or
contact your Capscan account manager.
How often do you release
software and Mailsort/Walksort database updates?
Software updates are
released whenever we make any significant amendments to the program. The release of the
Mailsort/Walksort database is dictated by the frequency the raw data is released by Royal
Mail. Generally, a completely new Mailsort database is released approximately every 18
months, with the occasional interim release; and a new Walksort database (as from October
2003) is released on the first Monday of every month.
The latest version of Sortcode and the Mailsort/Walksort database can be downloaded from
the Sortcode Software and Databases page.
I find the process of
defining each of fields laborious and tedious. Is there a simpler way of doing it?
Yes, use the Job File
Wizard facility, found on the File menu.
Is it possible to print the
Computer Planning Report and Line Listing outside the Sortcode applicaton?
Yes, both the Computer
Planning Report (.cpr) and Line Listing (.lst) are generated as plain text files.
These files can be opened and printed using any application that supports plain text files
such as Microsoft Word or WordPad. The file names of these files can be found using
the File Summary option in the View menu.
Does Sortcode produce the
barcode field for Mailsort CBC/700 mailings?
No, the barcode field must
be assigned to the address records prior to being sorted by Sortcode. This can be
done using our address management batch processing product, "Matchcode
Batch". Please click here for more details or contact your Capscan account manager.
Why does my Computer
Planning Report show a poor number of "postcodes matched" when my address file
has recently been updated with all the latest postcodes?
This problem is probably
due to an error with the input record definition, thus impairing Sortcode's ability to
identify postcodes. Check that all the fields in the input record have been
correctly defined.
Why does my Computer
Planning Report show exactly twice as many "address records processed" than
there actually are?
The reason for this problem
differs slightly depending on whether the input records are comma-separated or
fixed-length.
- Comma-separated
records
Not enough fields have been defined.
- Fixed-length
records
The total of the field lengths specified in the field definitions is less than the length
of the actual records.
Why do some of the Selection
entries in my Line Listing have a "U/D" next to them?
The "U/D"
indicates that a Selection is an "Undersized Direct". Please refer to your
Royal Mail Mailsort User Guide for an explanation of Undersized Directs.
What is the maximum number
of fields I can define?
500.
Why do I get a
"Security Check Error!" message when I have just applied my new User Key?
Assuming that your User Key
is valid, the problem is probably to caused by the fact that you are using an old version
of Sortcode which isn't compatible with your new User Key. You can download the
latest version of Sortcode from the Sortcode Software and Databases page
or to request a copy on CD, please contact our Sales
Administration department.