Pipe delimited text format is a text file format, similar in principle to the more common comma-separated values (CSV) format. PDT is a de facto standard method for delivering data. PDT has been chosen instead of CSV because some of the attributions may contain commas, for example, within addresses. This is one of the simplest data formats in which to supply data. PDT can be imported and used in most desktop spreadsheet or database applications, as well as within more complex geographical information systems.
Once imported, it may be possible, depending on the application, to export to word processing or presentation packages.
Points of Interest information in PDT is held within individual fields. Each field is either textual (can contain letters and/or numbers), for example, ‘SO16 0AS’, or numeric, for example, ‘21’. Each field is separated from the next by the ASCII pipe symbol (|), which is a keyboard symbol often found on the backslash key. If the field is textual or should be treated as a character field even when the stored value is a number, then the text is enclosed in double quotes.
The following sup page describes the record structure feature which makes up the product, giving the following information about each attribute:
The name of the attribute and what it is describing.
Any condition associated with this attribute. (Optional).
The nature of the attribute, for example, a numeric value or a code list value.
Describes how many times this element is expected to be populated in the data. An attribute may be optional or mandatory. These are denoted by:
‘1’ there must be a value.
‘0..1’ population is optional but a maximum of one attribute will be returned.
This section describes the record structure feature attributes that makes up the Points of Interest product.
A numeric identifier that is allocated to, and retained by, an individual record within Points of Interest.
Note: Due to the nature of Points of Interest, URNs can change. Points of Interest is concerned with activities and functions at specific locations; these naturally change over time and the URN may also change to reflect this. For example, a church or chapel may be converted into a wine bar or other licensed premise.
Type: Integer
Double quotes: No
Size: 12
Multiplicity: [1]
Name of the organisation or record provided by the data supplier. Where the source of the data does not specify a name for the premises, the activity or function is reported based on the classification.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [1]
An eight-digit number that equates to the three levels – Group, Category and Class – of the record. Text type to prevent leading zero loss.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 8
Multiplicity: [1]
Easting element of the record’s National Grid reference. Allows for six characters followed by one decimal place. This is provided to a resolution of 1 metre or better.
Type: Double
Double quotes: No
Size: 8,1
Multiplicity: [1]
Northing element of the record’s National Grid reference. Allows for seven characters followed by one decimal place. This is provided to a resolution of 1 metre or better.
Type: Double
Double quotes: No
Size: 9,1
Multiplicity: [1]
A flag for the positional accuracy of the feature. Value of 1–4 only.
Type: Positional Accuracy look-up
Double quotes: No
Size: 1
Multiplicity: [1]
The Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) in Points of Interest represents the value assigned to the related unit of land or property in Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase suite of products, where the Points of Interest and AddressBase records have been successfully address-matched.
Type: Integer
Double quotes: No
Size: 12
Multiplicity: [0..1]
This is a unique identifier provided on features within the OS MasterMap Topography Layer product, starting with a prefix of ‘osgb’. The value will be ‘Not Assigned’ where a TOID is not provided.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 20
Multiplicity: [1]
Identifies the version of the topographic TOID. If the topographic TOID value provided is ‘Not Assigned’, then the value of the topographic TOID version will be 0 (zero).
Type: Integer
Double quotes: No
Size: 4
Multiplicity: [1]
The Unique Street Reference Number (USRN) in Points of Interest represents the value assigned to the related road in Ordnance Survey’s MasterMap Highways Network product, where the Points of Interest and Highways Network records have been successfully matched.
Type: Integer
Double quotes: No
Size: 8
Multiplicity: [1]
A flag for the match accuracy of the USRN to Points of Interest feature. Value of 1–3 only.
Type: USRN Match Indicator look-up
Double quotes: No
Size: 1
Multiplicity: [1]
Distance in metres, to one decimal place, between the Feature Easting and Northing and the USRN. Reported value is to one decimal place. Gives an indication of how far away the feature access is from the Highways road network. This distance is to the nearest road, which may not necessarily be the most accessible road.
Type: Double
Double quotes: No
Size: 8,1
Multiplicity: [1]
Contains the building name or number with a sub-premise and dependant thoroughfare if applicable. The field may be null.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0..1]
The name of the thoroughfare if applicable. The field may be null.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0.1]
The postal town that the feature is located within. For extra clarification, when an address has a dependent locality within it, this will prefix the postal town in the resulting output, with a comma separating the two elements.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0.1]
Populated with the name of the geographic county in which the record’s XY coordinates are positioned. If outside the extent of Great Britain, the nearest county name is applied. Examples include ‘Lincolnshire’, ‘Inverness’ and ‘Gwent’.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 50
Multiplicity: [1]
Postcodes are an alphanumeric abbreviated form of an address. There are two main components of a postcode:
The outward code (also called outcode). The first two to four characters of the postcode, constituting the postcode area and the postcode district. It is the part of the postcode that enables mail to be sent from the accepting office to the correct area for delivery.
The inward code (also called incode). The last three characters of the postcode, constituting the postcode sector and the postcode unit. It is used to sort mail at the local delivery office.
Some addresses may contain the outbound postcode only, for example, ‘DN22’ or ‘L34’.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 8
Multiplicity: [1]
Populated with the name of the administrative area in which the record’s XY coordinates are positioned. If outside the extent of Great Britain, then the nearest administrative area name is applied. Examples include ‘Cambridge District’, ‘City of Derby’ and ‘Lambeth London Boro’.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 60
Multiplicity: [1]
The telephone number associated with a feature. Field is null if not supplied. Text type to prevent leading zero loss.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 12
Multiplicity: [0.1]
Website associated with a feature. Field is null if not supplied.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0.1]
Brand name associated with a feature. Field is null if not supplied.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0.1]
Linked to qualifier data attribute and states the type of data used in qualifier type, for example, restaurant type. If Qualifier Data is populated, Qualifier Type must have a value.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0.1]
Linked to qualifier type attribute and allows reporting of extra information about a feature, for example, ‘Indian’ or ‘Chinese’.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [0.1]
Name of the data supplier.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 255
Multiplicity: [1]
PointX release date in the form DD-MMM-YYYY.
Type: Text
Double quotes: Yes
Size: 11
Multiplicity: [1]
Fields containing text or alphanumerics will be enclosed by double quotes; the double quotes have not been included in the sizes listed in the data above. Numerical fields not starting with a 0 will not contain double quotes.
Fields with null data will appear empty.
Each record will be terminated with a carriage return character (ASCII 13) and a line feed character (ASCII 10).