addressfield

addressfield is a structured address input field used in content management and form systems, most commonly associated with the Drupal ecosystem as a contributed module. It provides a single field type that captures postal addresses in a locale-aware way by breaking the address into components such as street address lines, locality (city), administrative area (state or province), postal code, and country. The module emphasizes internationalization and supports different country formats and validation rules.

Implementation and data model: In Drupal, addressfield defines subfields for each component and stores them as part of an address record attached to an entity. It can be used on user profiles, content types, or web forms. The field often integrates with the Address module to share storage and formatting logic and to reuse common address handling code. The widget typically renders as multiple input boxes or as a single combined field with a country selector and optional auto-completion.

Validation and formatting: addressfield includes validation to ensure required components are present and that country-specific postal codes follow basic patterns. It can be configured to require a country, limit available countries, or enforce country-specific field requirements. Output can be rendered in templates or converted to standard address formats for printing, exporting, or integrations with mailing services.

Usage considerations: when choosing addressfield, assess how addresses will be used (billing, shipping, user profiles, forms), localization needs, and integration with e-commerce or CRM systems. Depending on the platform version, it may be complemented or superseded by newer address handling solutions, but it remains a reference implementation for structured address input in modular systems.

See also: Address module, Drupal, Form API, international address formats.