Shapefile¶
A Shapefile is a common file format which contains numerous features of the same type. Each shapefile has but a single feature type.
| The classic three files | |
| filename.shp | shapes |
| filename.shx | shapes to attributes index |
| filename.dbf | attributes |
| Basic metadata | |
| filename.prj | projection |
| Open source extensions | |
| filename.qix | quadtree spatial index |
| filename.fix | feature id index |
| filename.sld | style-layer-descriptor style xml object |
| ESRI extensions | |
| filename.sbn | attribute index |
| filename.sbx | spatial index |
| filename.lyr | arcmap-only style object |
| filename.avl | arcview style object |
| filename.shp.xml | fgdc metadata |
You can save any changes made to your shapefiles appearance by choosing export from the Style dialog and saving a sld file.
If you are having trouble displaying your shapefile with other layers you may be lacking a prj file. You may wish to look up a resonable projection using the uDig CRS dialog (righ click on a map) and cut & paste the result into a prj file using a text editor.