Chapter 4. Working with different vector file formats
This chapter covers
- Choosing a vector data file format
- Working with various vector data formats
- Checking what edits are allowed on a data source
As mentioned in the previous chapter, there are many different vector file formats, and they’re not always interchangeable, at least in a practical sense. Certain formats are more appropriate for certain uses than others. In this chapter you’ll learn several of the differences and their strengths and weaknesses.
Another consideration with format is what you can and can’t do with the data using OGR. In general, working with one type is the same as working with another, but sometimes how you open the data source is different. The larger issue is the difference in capabilities of each driver. For example, certain formats can be read from but not written to, and others can be created but existing data can’t be edited. You’ll also learn how to determine what you can and can’t do with a dataset.