.gpkg is GeoPackage File
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Open Source | Freely available and usable without restrictions. |
| Standards-Based | Adheres to international standards for interoperability and data integrity. |
| Self-contained | Stores all data and metadata within a single file. |
| Compact and Efficient | Smaller file sizes compared to traditional formats. |
| Performance Optimized | Designed for fast data access and manipulation. |
| Extensible | Supports custom extensions for additional functionality. |
What's on this Page
A GPKG file, or GeoPackage, is an open, non-proprietary, platform-independent, and standards-based data format for storing and sharing geographic information systems (GIS) data. It is built as a set of conventions over a SQLite database, which makes it lightweight, portable, and easy to use with various GIS software applications.
GPKG files can store a variety of GIS data types, including:
Vector features: Points, lines, and polygons representing real-world objects like roads, buildings, and natural features.
Raster data: Images or grids of data representing elevation, land cover, or other thematic information.
Tile matrix sets: Collections of raster data organized into a hierarchical structure for efficient web mapping applications.
Metadata and schema: Information about the data, including its source, projection, and attributes.
GPKG files have several advantages over traditional GIS data formats, such as shapefiles:
Self-contained: A single GPKG file can contain all the data and metadata for a project, eliminating the need for multiple files and simplifying data management.
Compact: GPKG files are often smaller than equivalent shapefile or GeoJSON datasets, reducing storage requirements and improving data transfer efficiency.
Performance: GPKG files are optimized for efficient data access and manipulation, enabling faster query responses and analysis.
Extensible: The GPKG standard supports extensions, allowing developers to add custom features and functionality to the format.
As a result of these advantages, GPKG has become a popular choice for storing and sharing GIS data in various applications, including:
Web mapping: GPKG files are widely used in web mapping services like OpenStreetMap and ArcGIS Online due to their lightweight and efficient nature.
Mobile GIS: GPKG files are increasingly used in mobile GIS applications due to their portability and compatibility with various mobile platforms.
GIS analysis and modeling: GPKG files are becoming a preferred format for GIS analysis and modeling due to their ease of integration with GIS software and data analysis tools.
Overall, GPKG has emerged as a modern and versatile GIS data format that offers significant advantages over traditional formats. Its open-source nature, portability, and performance make it a valuable tool for GIS professionals and developers across various industries and applications.
There are several ways to open a GPKG file, depending on the software you are using. Here are a few options:
QGIS: QGIS is a free and open-source GIS software that can open GPKG files directly. To open a GPKG file in QGIS, simply drag and drop the file onto the map canvas.
ArcGIS: ArcGIS is a commercial GIS software that can also open GPKG files. To open a GPKG file in ArcGIS, click on the "Add Data" button, select "Geodatabase (File)" from the drop-down menu, and then browse to the GPKG file.
GeoPackage Viewer: GeoPackage Viewer is a web-based application that can open GPKG files. To open a GPKG file in GeoPackage Viewer, simply upload the file to the application.
There are several ways to convert a GPKG file to shapefile. Here are two options:
QGIS: QGIS can convert GPKG files to shapefiles directly. To convert a GPKG file to shapefile in QGIS, right-click on the layer in the Layers panel, select "Save As," and then choose "Shapefile" as the format.
GDAL: GDAL is a library for translating geospatial data formats. To convert a GPKG file to shapefile using GDAL, you can use the following command:
ogr2ogr -f "ESRI Shapefile" output.shp input.gpkg
To create a GPKG file in QGIS, follow these steps:
Create a new QGIS project.
Add a layer of vector data to the project.
Right-click on the vector data layer in the Layers panel and select "Save As."
Choose "GeoPackage" as the format.
Enter a name for the GPKG file and click "Save."
There are a few things you can try to fix a corrupted GPKG file:
Use a GPKG repair tool: There are a few GPKG repair tools available online that can attempt to repair corrupted GPKG files.
Rebuild the GPKG index: The GPKG index is a file that helps QGIS access data quickly. If the index is corrupted, QGIS may not be able to open the GPKG file. To rebuild the index, right-click on the GPKG file in the QGIS Browser panel and select "Rebuild index."
Create a new GPKG file: If the other methods fail, you may need to create a new GPKG file and import the data from the corrupted file.
To use GPKG files in Android apps, you can use a library like TileDB or SpatiaLite. These libraries allow you to load and display GPKG data in your Android app.