Postal Code Conversion File Plus [Canada], Version 4J, September 2006, Census of Canada 2001

<p>The PCCF+ is a SAS© control program and set of associated datasets derived from the PCCF, a 2001 postal code<sup>OM</sup> population weight file, the Geographic Attribute File, Health Region boundary files, and other supplementary data. PCCF+ automatically assigns a range of Statistics Canada standard geographic areas and other geographic identifiers based on postal codes<sup>OM</sup>.</p>
<p>PCCF+ differs from the PCCF in that it:</p>
<ul>
<li>Uses population-weighted random allocation for many postal codes<sup>OM</sup> that link to more than one geographic area.</li>
<li>Options are available for institutional postal codes<sup>OM</sup>.</li>
<li>Procedures are included to link partial postal codes<sup>OM</sup> to geographic identifiers where possible.</li>
<li>Problem records and diagnostics are provided in the program output, along with reference information for possible solutions.</li>
</ul>
<p>The geographic coordinates, which represent the standard geostatistical areas linked to each postal codes<sup>OM</sup> on the PCCF, are commonly used to map the distribution of data for spatial analysis (e.g., clients, activities). In April 1983, the Geography Division released the first version of the PCCF, which linked postal codes to 1981 census geographic areas and included geographic coordinates. PCCF+ was first created using the 1986 census and has been updated regularly with population weight files calculated for each census from 1991 through 2001.</p>
<p>The purpose of the PCCF+ is to provide a link between six-character postal codes<sup>OM</sup> produced by the Canada Post Corporation (CPC), standard 2001 Census geographic areas (such as dissemination areas, census subdivisions, and census tracts) produced by Statistics Canada, and supplementary administrative areas and neighbourhood income quintiles. Postal codes<sup>OM</sup> do not respect census geographic boundaries and so may be linked to more than one standard geographic area, or assigned to more than one set of coordinates. Therefore, one postal code<sup>OM</sup> may be represented by more than one record. The PCCF product, produced by Statistics Canada, provides links between postal codes and all recorded matches to census geography. PCCF+ uses the PCCF but provides additional functionality in that it uses a population-weighted matching process for some residential postal codes<sup>OM</sup> where more than one geographic code is possible. PCCF+ also provides routines for institutional postal codes<sup>OM</sup> and for historic postal codes<sup>OM</sup>. The purpose of this product is <i>not</i> to validate postal codes<sup>OM</sup> or the PCCF.</p>

PCCF+是一款基于SAS©开发的控制程序及配套数据集集合，其数据源为PCCF（2001年版邮政编码^OM人口权重文件）、地理属性文件、卫生区域边界文件及其他补充数据。PCCF+可基于邮政编码^OM自动匹配并分配一系列加拿大统计局标准地理区域及其他地理标识符。

PCCF+与基础版PCCF的区别如下：
<ul>
<li>针对关联至多个地理区域的多数邮政编码^OM，采用人口加权随机分配策略。</li>
<li>针对机构类邮政编码^OM提供专属配置选项。</li>
<li>内置处理流程，可在可行场景下将部分邮政编码^OM匹配至地理标识符。</li>
<li>程序输出结果中包含异常记录及诊断报告，并附带可供参考的问题解决方案资料。</li>
</ul>

与PCCF中每个邮政编码^OM关联的标准地理统计区域对应的地理坐标，常被用于绘制数据分布图谱以开展空间分析（如客户分布、业务活动分布等）。1983年4月，加拿大统计局地理司发布了首个版本的PCCF，该版本实现了邮政编码与1981年人口普查地理区域的关联，并附带地理坐标信息。PCCF+最初基于1986年人口普查数据开发，并于1991年至2001年间，依托各次人口普查生成的人口权重文件完成了多轮定期更新。

PCCF+的核心功能是实现加拿大邮政公司（Canada Post Corporation, CPC）生成的六位字符邮政编码^OM、加拿大统计局发布的2001年人口普查标准地理区域（如普查 dissemination区（Dissemination Area）、普查分区（Census Subdivision）、普查片区（Census Tract）），以及补充行政区域与社区收入五分位数之间的关联映射。由于邮政编码^OM并不遵循人口普查地理边界划定规则，因此一个邮政编码^OM可能与多个标准地理区域存在关联，或被分配至多组地理坐标。由此，单个邮政编码^OM可能对应多条数据记录。由加拿大统计局出品的基础版PCCF可实现邮政编码与所有已记录的人口普查地理匹配结果的关联，而PCCF+在沿用PCCF核心逻辑的基础上新增了多项功能：针对存在多个地理编码可能的住宅类邮政编码^OM，采用人口加权匹配流程；同时针对机构类邮政编码^OM与历史邮政编码^OM提供专属处理脚本。本产品的设计初衷并非用于验证邮政编码^OM或基础版PCCF的有效性。