Format Shapefle

"Shape-file" (English Shapefile) - a vector format of geographical files. It is developed and supported by company Esri with the purpose of interoperability between products Esri and other programs. Format "Shape-file" allows to store the following various types of geometrical objects:

Designation		Type	Corresponds to character of localizations
in Esri documenta-tion	in this program	Type	Corresponds to character of localizations
Point	P	Point	Point
PolyLine	L	A polyline the object consisting of several lines (broken lines)	Line
Polygon	S	Polygon (can consist of several parts with emptiness)	Polygon
MultiPoint	MP	Multipoint - the object consisting of several points	Point
PointZ	PZ	A point in 3D (XYZ)	Point
PolyLineZ	LZ	A polyline in 3D (XYZ)	Line
PolygonZ	SZ	Polygon in 3D (XYZ)	Polygon
MultiPointZ	MPZ	Multipoint in 3D (XYZ)	Point
PointM	PM	A point with any measured value	Point, characteristic «M» is not processed
PolyLineM	LM	A polyline with any measured values	Line, characteristic «M» is not processed
PolygonM	SM	Polygon with any measured values	Polygon, characteristic «М» is not processed
MultiPointM	MPM	Multipoint with any measured values	Point, characteristic «M» is not processed
MultiPatch	MPS	Triangulation surfaces	It is not processed

When you load from Shape the objects of the Point type the point objects are formed. To each created object the unique semantic description from the corresponding record of DBF table is assigned.

When you load from Shape the objects of Multipoint type the point objects are formed. To all created objects the identical semantic description from the corresponding record of DBF table is assigned.

When you load from Shape the objects of Polyline type the linear objects are formed. At presence in a polyline more than one line they are drawn in the form of subobjects. To each created object the unique semantic description from the corresponding record of DBF table is assigned.

When you load from Shape the objects of Polygon type the polygonal objects are formed. At presence in polygon more than one component the automatic analysis onto input of one object into another is made.

Automatic definition of non-crossed basic contours and their subobjects, including taking into account the nesting («donut in donut») is carried out. To each created object the unique semantic description, from the corresponding record of DBF table is assigned. At creation (during the spatial analysis) of additional independent objects to them the identical semantic description is assigned.

At processing objects of type PZ, LZ, SZ the objects having the three-dimensional metrics are formed.

Data set in Shape format is a complete set of the files having identical names and different extensions.

- main file (.SHP), containing the spatial (coordinate) description of loaded objects in the metric (X, Y) or geodetic (B, L) coordinate system;

- file of attributive data (.DBF), containing the semantic description of loaded objects;

- file of the project (.PRJ), containing the description of a mathematical basis of loaded data (description of parameters of coordinate system, spheroid, projection).

The main file contains the spatial metric description of loaded vector objects in the form of sets of spatial coordinates of points (nodes).

The file of attributive data has DBF format. One line of the table corresponds to one object in the main file. Conformity between objects and attributes is based on number of record.