What is a major use of address locators in GIS?

Address locators in GIS are primarily used for geocoding addresses. Geocoding is the process of converting addresses into geographic coordinates, which allows for mapping and spatial analysis. When a GIS application receives an address, the address locator compares it against a set of reference data, such as streets and address ranges, to find the corresponding location on a map and output the relevant coordinates.

This capability is essential for numerous applications, such as logistics, urban planning, and emergency response, where understanding the exact location of a given address is critical. While creating maps, data analysis, and network analysis are important features of GIS, they are not the primary function of address locators. Address locators specifically serve the purpose of transforming textual address data into spatial data, facilitating the visualization and analysis of that information on a geographic platform.