Updating a shapefile

[GuyKouwoaye]

I am told to update a shapefile (add new records to it) before I can use it to produce a map. To update the shapefile, I opened its attribute table and then used "Start Editing" and "Add new features" menu option to enter the new records in an ArcGIS Edit  session.
As I updated the shapefile this way (by editing the table and adding the new records), I think that the XY coordinates were not lost for the old records.
However, I am wondering if I have to geocode again the shapefile in order for the new records to have a positional location attached to them and then use the exported shapefile (obtained after geocoding) to make my map?
Thanks.

[RichardFairhurst]

The new data (the new records I'm going to add to the shapefile) I was given is in Excel. These records are new facilities that will be added to the old facilites that are in the shapefile. In the attributes list of these new facilites, there is no latitude and longitude, but attributes such as name, address, zip code, year the facility was built, etc...

As you said I have to geocode the new data and merge it, can you tell me how I can import this Excel file into ArcGIS and then geocode it?
I think I have to create shapefile with this new data before I geocode it, right? If so how can I create a shapefile with this new data in Excel?

I am not sure, but can I create a shapefile with this new data by importing it into Mcrosoft Access to create a table with it and then import this table into ArcGIS?
Thanks.

Access tables are not needed for geocoding.  You need to bring in the Excel table that has new addresses in as a table.  Then you need a geocoding service.  You either can use the ArcGIS Online service or create your own with your own data.  You have to build a compatible Locator with the Locator tool in the tool box to run geocoding against an address range network or parcel database with addresses.  The geocoding process will make these records spatial as points in a new separate shapefile from your original geocoded points or assign XY coordinates into fields in a table so that the table can be made into a Point layer using the Make XY Event Layer tool and then converted to a permanent point feature class with an export.  Geocoding means that a non-spatial table is made spatial by matching it up to an existing addressing sources like a road network with address ranges or parcel dataset with addresses.

After the new records are fully geocoded and made into points then you can use the Append or Merge tool to combine your original points with your new points.  I would not attempt to combine the two together until both were either made into point features or both were made into flat tables with filled in XY coordinate fields.  Combining them before that just makes things harder on yourself.

Never edit any shapefile by inserting new records in a table view.  Only do that with flat tables that can be converted to a layer using the Make XY Event Layer, Make Route Event Layer (for lines or points on a Linear Reference line network), Make Query Table tool, Join, or similar tools that can spatially enable flat data based on fields or integration with existing spatial data.