GeoPackage Specification / Overview
Introduction
The GeoPackage file format is a SQLite database container that can hold one or more of the following items:
- vector features
- tile matrix sets of imagery and raster maps at various scales
- attributes (non-spatial data)
A GeoPackage file has the .gpkg extension.
Benefits of GeoPackage
- Single file
- SQLite backend
- Can hold both vector data and raster data
- Well-supported (supported in many software packages)
- Supports extensions to allow GeoPackages to contain unofficial item formats. See GeoPackage Extensions for the currently list of extensions.
Limitations of GeoPackage
- The symbology of the feature classes is not saved. This functionality is in the development queue. See the GeoPackage Blog - Where We Are with Feature Styling and Portrayal
- "One downside to GeoPackage is that the underlying SQLite database is a complex binary format that is not suitable for streaming. It either must be written to the local file system or accessed through an intermediary service." - Switch from Shapefile
Alternatives to GeoPackage
Alternatives to GeoPackage include the following, and each option has its own benefits and limitations:
- ArcGIS Map Package - requires Esri ArcGIS software
- KML/KMZ File - used with Google Maps and Google Earth
Resources
See the following resources: