<Zone> element

code

Sets the zone type, which must be a valid value defined in the ZoneType typelist. You also use this value as a symbol in <ZoneCode> expressions to represent the data extracted from the data import file based on the column specified in the fileColumn attribute.

fileColumn

This optional attribute specifies the column in the import data file from which to extract the zone data. The numeric value of fileColumn indicates the ordered number of the column in the data file. For example, fileColumn="4" specifies the fourth column in the data file.

A <Zone> element without a fileColumn attribute can contain an expression that derives a value from the other zone values. For example, in the base configuration, Guidewire defines the following fsa zone in the Canadian <Zones> element:

<Zone code="fsa" regionMatchOrder="1" granularity="1">
    <ZoneCode> postalcode.substring(0,3) </ZoneCode>
    <AddressZoneValue> Address.PostalCode.substring(0,3) </AddressZoneValue>
  </Zone>

Both the <ZoneCode> and <AddressZoneValue> elements extract data from the actual address data by parsing the data into substrings.

Notes:

• Specify at least one <Zone> element with a fileColumn attribute. If you do not specify at least one fileColumn attribute, then PolicyCenter does not import data from the address zone data file.
• Import address zone data on first installing Guidewire PolicyCenter, and then at infrequent intervals thereafter as you update zone definitions.

granularity

Sets size levels for each defined zone. The smallest geographical region is 1. The next larger geographical region is 2, and so on. The sequence of numbers must be continuous. PolicyCenter uses this value with holidays and business weeks.

orgZone

For Guidewire internal use only. Do not set this attribute.

regionMatchOrder

Controls the order in which PolicyCenter uses these zones in matching algorithms. PolicyCenter uses this attribute as it matches users to a zone for location-based or proximity-based assignment. For example, in the base configuration for the United States, Guidewire defines the following <Zone> attributes for a county:

<Zone 
  code="county"
  fileColumn="4"
  regionMatchOrder="2"
  granularity="3" >
  ...
</Zone>

Setting the regionMatchOrder to 2 means that PolicyCenter matches county data second, after another zone, while matching a user to a location.

The county value also:

• Appears in the fourth column of the data file.
• Is third in granularity, one size less than a state—granularity 4—and one size more than a city—granularity 2.

unique

This optional attribute specifies whether the zone data is unique. For example, in the United States, a county data value by itself does not guarantee uniqueness across all states. There is a county with the name of Union in seventeen states and a county with the name of Adams in twelve states.

To differentiate zones that can be identical—not unique—use a <ZoneCode> element to construct a zone expression that uniquely identifies that zone data. For example, you can combine the county name with the state name to make a unique identifier by defining the following <ZoneCode> subelement of <Zone>:

<ZoneCode>
  state + ":" + county
</ZoneCode>

See also, <ZoneCode> element.