ukpostcodeparser

1.1.2 verified Fri May 01 auth: no python

A Python library for parsing and validating UK postcodes. Supports all common format types including inward/outward codes, GiroBank, BFPO, and special postcodes. Version 1.1.2 is current; the library is stable and receives infrequent updates.

pip install ukpostcodeparser

Common errors

error ImportError: No module named 'ukpostcodeparser' ↓

cause Library not installed or installed in a different environment.

fix

Run pip install ukpostcodeparser in the correct Python environment.

error AttributeError: module 'ukpostcodeparser' has no attribute 'validate' ↓

cause Attempting to call a non-existent function named `validate` that may have existed in an older version or never existed.

fix

Use parse_uk_postcode instead of validate. Check return value for None to indicate invalid postcode.

error TypeError: parse_uk_postcode() missing 1 required positional argument: 'postcode' ↓

cause Calling the function without passing a postcode string.

fix

Pass a string argument, e.g., parse_uk_postcode('M1 1AE').

Warnings

deprecated The function `validate_uk_postcode` is deprecated in version 1.1.0+; use `parse_uk_postcode` instead and check if it returns None. ↓

fix Replace `validate_uk_postcode(p)` with `parse_uk_postcode(p) is not None`.

gotcha The function `parse_uk_postcode` accepts formatted postcode strings with or without space (e.g., 'SW1A1AA' and 'SW1A 1AA' both work). However, output always contains a space in the postcode field. Input validation is permissive: non-standard formats may be accepted as valid. ↓

fix Test with your expected input formats and validate using the parsed components if strict adherence to a specific format is needed.

gotcha This library does not validate that a postcode exists in the Royal Mail database; it only checks structural validity. It will accept some patterns that are structurally valid but not actually assigned. ↓

fix Use the parsed postcode with an external validation service (e.g., Ordnance Survey API) for existence checks.

Imports

parse_uk_postcode

from ukpostcodeparser import parse_uk_postcode

parse_gb_postcode

from ukpostcodeparser import parse_gb_postcode

Quickstart

Parse a UK postcode into its outward and inward components.

from ukpostcodeparser import parse_uk_postcode

postcode = parse_uk_postcode('SW1A 1AA')
if postcode:
    print(postcode)  # ParsedPostcode(outward='SW1A', inward='1AA', postcode='SW1A 1AA')
else:
    print('Invalid postcode')