Editing GIS file format (section)

{{short description|Standard of encoding}}

A '''GIS file format''' or '''geospatial file format''' is a standard for encoding [[geographical information]] into a [[computer file]]. It is a specialized type of [[file format]] for use in [[geographic information system]]s (GIS), [[remote sensing]] [[image processing]] tools, and other geospatial applications. Since the 1970s, dozens of formats have been created based on various [[Data model (GIS)|data models]] for various purposes. They have been created by government mapping agencies (such as the [[USGS]] or [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]), GIS software vendors, standards bodies such as the [[Open Geospatial Consortium]], informal user communities, and even individual developers.