GIS data formats
A GIS data format specifies how geospatial data is stored in a file (or multiple files) on disk. The format describes the logical structure used to store geospatial data within the file(s).
Note
While we talk about storing information on disk, data formats can also be used to transmit geospatial information between computer systems. For example, a web service might provide map data on request, transmitting that data in a particular format.
A GIS data format will typically support:
- Geospatial data describing geographical features.
- Additional meta-data describing this data, including the datum and projection used, the coordinate system and units that the data is in, the date this file was last updated, and so on.
- Attributes providing additional information about the geographical features that are being described. For example, a city feature may have attributes such as name, population, average temperature, and so on.
- Display information, such as the color or line style to use when...
