Quickstart#

Introduction#

Welcome to the Melissa Data NameLib Service. Parse, genderize, and standardize personal names as well as able to standardize company names.

NameLib Service can be used to:

  • Recognize over 6,000,000 last names and 4,000,000 first names across different countries and languages.

  • Parse full names into first, middle and last names, as well as prefixes like “Dr.” and suffixes like “Jr.”

  • Correct misspelled first names

  • Standardized names with extended and UTF-8 characters will return responses with the proper UTF-8 / accented characters.

  • Flag vulgar and obviously fake names, such as “Bugs Bunny.”

  • Split dual names (ex. Mr and Mrs John and Mary Jones)

  • Assign gender based on known first names and prefixes.

  • Output preferred output Salutation name parts.

  • Standardize company names

System Requirements#

  • Melissa Updater (for data files)

  • Latest Linux containerization technology like Docker.

Getting Started#

To get started with the NameLib Service you need to download the necessary data files, spin up a container instance and then send requests to this local instance.

Download the Data Files#

Use Melissa Updater to download the data files using the manifest named dq_name_data.

  • LINUX
.\MelissaUpdater manifest \
   -p "dq_name_data" \
   -r "latest" \
   -l "{{LicenseKey}}"

Spin up the Container Instance#

Once you have the proper data files downloaded, you need to set up a containerization service to host the NameLib Service on your local machine, like Docker. It will help to have the following readily available:

  • Data files path

  • Desired web service listening port for the container

  • License key

Getting Credentials/Licensing#

The License Key is a software key required to use the service. You will receive your license key from your Melissa representative. If you don’t have a license key, contact the Melissa sales team at Sales@Melissa.com or 800-MELISSA ext. 3 (800-635-4772 ext. 3). Without a license key this service will not function.

Logging in to Docker#

You must first login to Melissa’s container repository in order to download the NameLib Service image:

docker login hub.melissadata.net

  • You will be prompted for your username and password, this will be where you use the credentials you received from the Melissa sales team.

Example Docker Setup#

docker pull hub.melissadata.net/melissadata/dqt/namelibservice:latest

docker run -d --name namelibservice --restart unless-stopped \
           -p {{port_number}}:6245 -e {{license_key}} \
           -v "{{data_path}}":/data  \
            hub.melissadata.net/melissadata/dqt/namelibservice:latest

  • The first port section -p {{port_number}}: can be whatever port you want on your local machine, but the second port (6245) should stay the same.

  • -v "{{data_path}}": is the location of the data files on your local machine or server.

What Can I Do?#

Once you have the NameLib Service set up in a Docker instance, you can then access it like a Melissa Cloud API with GET or POST requests.

Check the Version#

NameLib Service can check the version of the latest available release.

Endpoint#

/V3/WEB/ContactVerify/GetVersion

Click here to go to the full endpoint documentation.

Try it Now#

  • GET JSON
curl -X GET \
"http://{{machine_name}}:{{port_number}}/V3/WEB/ContactVerify/GetVersion" \
-H "accept: application/json"

Check a Name#

NameLib Service can check to see if a given name is valid.

Endpoint#

/V3/WEB/ContactVerify/doContactVerify

Click here to go to the full endpoint documentation.

Try it Now#

  • GET JSON
  • POST JSON
curl -X GET \
"http://{{machine_name}}:{{port_number}}/V3/WEB/ContactVerify/doContactVerify?\
t=test\
&id={{license_key}}\
&ctry=US\
&a1=22382%20Avenida%20Empresa\
&city=Rancho%20Santa%20Margarita\
&state=CA\
&postal=92688\
&comp=Melissa\
&format=json"\
-H "accept:application/json"

curl -X 'POST' \
  'http://{{machine_name}}:{{port_number}}/V3/WEB/ContactVerify/doContactVerify' \
  -H 'accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "customerId": "{{license_key}}",
  "options": "",
  "transmissionReference": "test",
  "records": [
    {
      "recordID": "1",
      "addressLine1": "22382 Avenida Empresa",
      "addressLine2": "",
      "suite": "",
      "city": "Rancho Santa Margarita",
      "state": "CA",
      "postalCode": "92688",
      "lastLine": "",
      "plus4": "",
      "deliverypointcode": "",
      "company": "Melissa",
      "urbanization": "",
      "lastName": "",
      "country": "US"
    }
  ]
}'