Address locator

An address locator is a dataset in ArcGIS, which stores address attributes, associated indexes, rules and defines the process for translating nonspatial descriptions of places, such as street addresses, into spatial data that can be displayed as features on a map. Address locator files have a .loc file extension.

The address locator contains:
 * a snapshot of the reference data used for geocoding.
 * Parameters for standardizing addresses.
 * a search for matching locations and creating output.

One of the processes in geocoding is creating an address locator. The Create Address Locator dialog box can be accessed from the ArcMap Catalog window, ArcCatalog, or the ArcGIS Geocoding Tools toolbox.

License
An address locator can be published as a geocode service using ArcGIS for Server. This requires an ArcGIS for Server license.

History
In ArcGIS 8.3 and previous versions, an address locator was called a geocoding service.