Loading a vector layer from a file sample

Vector data stored in a local file is one of the most common geospatial data formats. Vector data typically stores geometry with associated attributes. In this recipe, we'll load a vector data file, in this case a shapefile, as a vector layer in QGIS.

Getting ready

For ease of following the examples in this book, it is recommended that you create a directory called qgis_data in your root or user directory,which will provide a short pathname. This setup will help prevent the occurrence of any frustrating errors resulting from path-related issues on a given system. In this recipe, and others, we'll use a point shapefile of the New York City museums, which you can download from https://github.com/GeospatialPython/Learn/raw/master/NYC_MUSEUMS_GEO.zip.

Unzip this file and place the shapefile's contents in a directory named nyc within your qgis_data directory.

How to do it...

Now, we'll walk through the steps of loading a shapefile...