Location synthesis options

Location values include the following types:

• Location

• Location Address

• Location State

• Location Zip

For location types that include zip codes, you can also specify how to generate the new zip code values.

Synthesis options for location values

Selecting the type of address generator to use

Under Address generator type, select the type of address generator to use:

• HIPAA-compliant address generator. This option generates values similar to those generated by the HIPAA Address generator in Structural.

• Non-HIPAA address generator. This option generates values similar to those generated by the Address generator in Structural.

If you configured a Textual statistics seed that matches a Structural statistics seed, then the generated address values are consistent with values generated in Structural. A given address value produces the same output value in both applications.

For example, in both Textual and Structural, a source address value 123 Main Street might be replaced with 234 Oak Avenue.

Using realistic replacement values

For Location State, based on HIPAA guidelines, both the Synthesize option and the Ignore option pass through the value.

For location types other than Location State, by default, Textual replaces a location value with a realistic corresponding value. For example, "Main Street" might be replaced with "Fourth Avenue".

To instead scramble the values, uncheck Replace with realistic values.

Generating replacement zip codes

Using zeroes for the last two digits

By default, to generate a new zip code, Textual selects a real zip code that starts with the same three digits as the original zip code. For a low population area, Textual instead selects a random zip code from within the United States.

To instead replace the last two digits of the zip code with zeros, check Replace zeroes for zip codes. For a low population area, Textual instead replaces all of the digits in the zip code with zeros.

This option is also used when you truncate zip codes to the first 3 digits. When you truncate zip codes, and enable this option, Textual adds zeroes to fill out the zip code to 5 digits.

Truncating zip codes to 3 digits

To truncate zip codes to the first 3 digits, check Use 3-digit zip codes.

If you also check Replace zeroes for zip codes, then Textual replaces the truncated digits with zeroes.

Replacing foreign zip codes with zeroes

For zip codes from outside of the United States, then to replace those zip codes with zeroes, check Replace foreign zip codes with zeroes.