What is necessary to create a locator for geocoding?

Creating a locator for geocoding requires reference data, which serves as the foundational information against which the geocoding process compares and matches input addresses. Reference data typically includes address points, street centerlines, postal codes, and other relevant geographic boundaries and features that help accurately locate and retrieve addresses during geocoding.

Reference data is essential as it provides the context and spatial information necessary for the system to interpret the input data and determine precise geographic coordinates. Without comprehensive reference data, the ability to accurately locate addresses would be significantly hampered, resulting in incomplete or incorrect geocoding results.

Input data, while necessary to perform geocoding, does not serve as the spatial anchor; it relies on the reference data to produce meaningful outputs. Network data and map data contribute useful geographic information but are not specifically required for building a geocoding locator.