Geocoding is the process of assigning a location, usually in the form of coordinate values, to an address by comparing the descriptive location elements in the address to those present in the reference material. Addresses come in many forms, ranging from the common address format of house number followed by the street name and succeeding information to other location descriptions such as postal zone or census tract. In essence, an address includes any type of information that distinguishes a place.
Many common tasks are related to the geocoding process, such as the creation, maintenance, and deletion of address locators, as well as the actual geocoding of addresses. The Geocoding toolbox contains tools to assist in accomplishing these tasks.
Explore the following links to learn more about geocoding:
Common geocoding tasksUnderstanding geocodingPreparing for geocodingBuilding an address locatorLocating addressesKeeping an address locator currentDistributing your address locator
The following table lists the tools available in the Geocoding toolbox with a brief description of each.
The following tools that were available in ArcGIS Geocoding toolbox prior to version 9.2 have been removed since they are no longer applicable.
| Tool |
Recommendation |
|---|
| Automate Geocoding Indexes |
Use the Create Address Locator tool to create a new address locator. No indexes need to be automated. |
| Deautomate Geocoding Indexes |
Use the Create Address Locator tool to create a new address locator. No indexes need to be deautomated. |
| Delete Address Locator |
Use the Delete (Data Management) tool to delete an address locator. |
| Rebuild Geocoding Indexes |
Use the Create Address Locator tool to create a new address locator. No indexes need to be rebuilt.
Use the Rebuild Address Locator tool to rebuild an address locator. Address attributes and indexes in the address locator will be refreshed. |
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