I am asking for input on the the best practice for having a user enter a location and then having the system geocode that location.
Addressfield + geofield + geocoder
Pros:
Addressfield allows one to enter in each part the location if they know it
It allows a developer to access each piece of the address easily
Integrates with alot of other Drupal modules
Cons:
You cannot have a piece of the address by required and the others not.
For example, I hardly ever know what the zip code of a venue or location is yet if addressfield is required, I have to enter it.
It is not a natural, free-flowing way to enter events.
text + geofield + geocoder
Pros:
natural way to type in an address. It's much like mapping on all the direction apps from Google, Bing, or Yahoo
type in just what you know and the system will try to match it
Cons:
Now way to get at individual elements ie. street address vs. zipcode or venue name
These are just my initial thoughts. Please add to this. I am thinking about how to handle a project and which way to go.
Thanks!