What is Shapefile?

and 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 display topographic features in two dimensions. Shapefile is also called Esri Shapefile after society, Environmental Systems Research Institute, which created this type of file at the age of 90.

Shapefiles are most commonly used for GIS or geographical information systems. GIS uses Formatefiles to display shaped landmarks such as lakes or waterways. Data from Thavefiles is stored with other information that helps mapping GIS programs for their intended use.

Nowadays companies and municipalities use GIS to map assets, monitor public resources or for a wide range of other goals. Engineers use GIS information and conduct studies on how the new development will affect the community or for other questions about land use. Esri was originally a company that used ShapeFiles for soil use applications.

As a geospatial type of data set, the shape file has several critical components. This type of file must contain three different types of subfills for data. The first, .shp represents a real "function geometry" or shapes. The .SHX format has a type of position index for shape relations. A separate .dbf component contains information about shapes that can be made to the advanced use database.

, together with these mandatory elements, include Shapefile often other subfers, such as .Prj, which deals with projection, and various other files, many of which are "read only" and include indexes for the shapes that are represented. Shapefiles deal with coordinates in terms of X -axis and axis. Many design of this file format helps to “handle” shapes and their relationships to each other. Without this kind of advanced design is storage of meanibez shapes

giWith systems that include the use of shapefiles, they have a great promise to help planners to promote different land use goals. Part of this type of software leads to greater capabilities for local environmental resources management and better planned community development. Another great feature of these types of systems is that the owners of large mobile assets can watch vehicles and equipment in real time. All these uses make GIS and its software components growing part of the 21st century administration.