"Geocoding is the process of assigning geographic coordinates (e.g. latitude-longitude) to street addresses, as well as other points and features. With geographic coordinates, the features can then be mapped and entered into Geographic Information Systems." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocoding)
How do I Geocode an Address?
There are a number of ways to geocode an address. The complicated way is to download the US Census data (Tiger/Line), write some programming code and database code to interact with the database, and go from there. The much easier way is to use an existing geocoding provider. There are many on the net today. Many have programming interfaces in Java, .NET, or even Ruby, ready for you to plug into your application.
What are some uses of Geocodes?
Many people ask why addresses should be geocoded. Let me ask you this: Have you ever wanted to generate a list of customers that lived within a certain distance from a point? Or have you wanted to display on a map where your customers are from? Both of these questions require you to geocode your data in order to find the answer. When you have an address geocoded, you can then use the latitude and longitude to perform searches and mappings with it.
Dave Stevenson is a computer programmer from Highland Utah. He has many hobbies, including running. Check out his website at Favorite Run to map all your running routes. Dave is also a developer of a fast and affordable geocoding service, Geocode America