loc.is / lab

LEARN BY EXPLORING

Short code lab

Choose a horizontal span (X), then a vertical span (Y). See the rectangle and its short and long codes change together.

Start with a preset, move it on the grid, then choose “Subdivide rectangle” to explore a smaller area. Open your selection on the map when you’re ready.

Inside the root region

Short codes · bottom / leftHex · top / rightScroll sideways on small screens

fine cells in this parent
of parent area
width : height in root units
Short code path · X then Y
Long code · X byte, Y byte

    Try your location

    Open on the map →

    Link to this selection in the lab

    Try 68, RZRZ, or RZRZ.11. A period starts a relative subdivision. Leading zeros matter.

    Four digits per step. Try 3030, 5045, 4550, or 5045.3030. Leading zeros are part of the code.

    Choose a hex span

    00–53

    Hover to preview the chosen axis; click to apply. Each row is a different span size. Scroll rows sideways for more values.

    54–FF reserved · 172 values per byte remain available.

    From Earth to a smaller rectangle

    Earth starts with 24 longitude divisions and 12 latitude divisions. Inside a selection, both axes use 24 divisions. Choices that would leave the current region are disabled.

    Y extends a base span by one neighbor; Z extends it by two. Long codes store each span as a hex byte. Subdividing a wide span adds a period before the next X/Y pair. The lab allows up to eight pairs, just like the map.

    The diagram preserves proportions in degrees. Ground distances vary with latitude. Different dotted paths can describe the same area; these are not guaranteed shortest codes.