QGIS supports many GIS data formats. It makes use of the OGR library for vector data and the GDAL library for raster data.

Shapefiles are the most common form of vector data today, and QGIS supports this format. Similarly, GeoTIFF are probably the most common form of raster data, and QGIS also supports these. In this book, we will work with and use these formats, as well as the new GeoPackage format.

QGIS 3 has chosen GeoPackage...

We are going to start by loading data into QGIS 3.4. You may have some of your own data that you wish to use, but all of the techniques are applicable to any GIS data you have. We will use the QGIS sample data for these examples. Over the following chapters, we will use the sample dataset to eventually build maps.

Loading data into QGIS can be done in several ways. The three most common ways are as follows:

• You can drag data directly from a folder straight into the map.
• You can drag data from the browser panel (shown...

When you loaded the Alaska layer, you probably noticed that the data appeared as a relatively small object. In this section, we will cover some of the basic interactions we can perform with data. Let's start with zooming in.

Later, we will show you how to zoom in on a layer to look at it in more detail. But first, let's remind ourselves of the project and navigation toolbar:

These tools are the workhorse of the GIS. They allow us to move around, inspect, measure, and select data. All are critical in any GIS, and if you have used mapping software before, you should be familiar with them.

Start by clicking on the zoom-in icon (a magnifying glass icon...

Now that we have become more familiar with inspecting, selecting, and interacting with data within QGIS, it's time to create data. In this section, we are going to edit attribute data, create vector data, and join data.

With the AREA_MI <= 1000 selection, let's add a field and populate it with a marker based on this selection.

Click on the Field Calculator button in the attributes toolbar to open up the field calculator.

This window contains considerable information; there is a great deal of power within the field calculator. In our case, we want to create a new field called small_area and assign yes if it is =< 1000, or no if it is >1000. As with many of the tools in GIS...

Raster data is not created like vector data. Quite often, raster data is created from other raster data, such as creating a slope raster from a topographic raster. Raster data can also be created from vector data, which can be done by gridding a series of coordinates/points. QGIS has the ability to perform all of these functions. We will further explore raster visualization in Chapter 4, Creating Great Maps, and processing rasters in Chapter 6, Extending QGIS with Python.

In this section, we will convert our Canada_Provinces.shp to a raster. In the menu, click Raster | Conversion | Rasterize (vector to raster), as shown in the following screenshot:

In the following dialog box, enter these parameters:

• Input Layer: Canada_Provinces.
• Burn-in value: id.
• Output raster size units: Pixels.
• Width: 10 (this will create a raster with a width of 10 pixels...

Finally, we will take a look at databases and the process of creating data in the new GeoPackage format.

At the start of this chapter, we looked at data formats and the GeoPackage format. Remember that, in QGIS 3, the GeoPackage format is the default format. So, let's finish this chapter by creating data in the GeoPackage format:

Create a new GeoPackage layer by clicking Layer | Create Layer | New GeoPackage Layer...:

Now fill in the resulting dialog box. Let's create a GeoPackage called My_first_GeoPackage, set the Geometry type as a Point, and add the ID and Name fields.

It should look similar to the following screenshot:

In this chapter, you learned the basics of using data in a GIS. QGIS 3.4 supports all the formats in OGR and GDAL. The default format for QGIS 3.4 is the GeoPackage. We also looked at creating and editing Vector data, as well as attribute tables and geometries. Furthermore, we joined data and used snapping tools to preserve topology. Don't ignore Raster data though; we will use it many times throughout this book. In this chapter, we briefly reviewed its creation and hinted at the powerful GDAL tools built into QGIS. Finally, we looked at spatial databases in QGIS 3.4 and connected to them in DB Manager.

In the next chapter, we will look at styling and visualizing this data.