Shapefiles are files used to store information about primitive shapes, often used in GIS to represent landmarks. ESRI created the file type in the 1990s. Shapefiles have mandatory components, including .shp, .shx, and .dbf, and often include other subfiles. GIS systems using shapefiles can help with land-use objectives and asset tracking.
A shapefile is a type of file format used to store information about primitive shapes. Shapefiles do not capture three-dimensional data, but are often used to show topographic features in two dimensions. A shapefile is also called an ESRI shapefile after the company, Environmental Systems Research Institute, created this type of file in the 1990s.
Shapefiles are most often used for GIS or geographic information systems. GIS uses shapefiles to represent shaped landmarks such as lakes or streams. Shapefile data is stored with other information to help GIS programs map for their intended uses.
Today, businesses and municipalities use GIS to map assets, monitor public resources, or for a variety of other purposes. Engineers use GIS information and conduct studies on how the new development will impact the community or for other land use issues. ESRI was originally a company that used shapefiles for land use applications.
Being a geospatial data file, a shapefile has several critical components. This file type must include three different subfile types for the data. The first, .shp, represents the actual “feature geometry” or shapes. The file in .shx format contains a sort of position index to relate the shapes to each other. A separate .dbf component contains shape information that can be piped into a database for advanced use.
Along with these mandatory features, a shapefile often includes other subfiles such as the .prj which takes care of the projection and various other files, many of which are “read only” and include indexes for the shapes represented. Shapefiles deal with coordinates in terms of the X-axis and Y-axis. Much of the design of this file format helps “manage” shapes and their relationships to each other. Without this kind of advanced design, memorizing shapes is meaningless.
GIS systems that include the use of shapefiles hold much promise in helping planners advance various land-use objectives. Some of these types of software lead to better management of local environmental resources and better planned development in communities. Another great feature of this type of systems is that owners of large mobile assets can track vehicles and equipment in real time. All these uses make GIS and its software components an increasing part of 21st century administration.
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