GIS Blog
Practical, technically honest writing on GIS file formats, conversions, coordinate systems, and the open-source mapping stack. Every article is hand-written from working GIS practice.
GML Explained: The XML-Based GIS Format Used by Governments
If you've ever downloaded cadastral data from a European government portal and stared at gigabytes of XML, you've met GML. Here's why governments love it and how to extract useful data from it.
Why Shapefile Is Still Everywhere (And Why That's a Problem)
Shapefile is the cockroach of GIS formats — it survives every extinction event. Here's a clear-eyed look at the constraints it still imposes on real projects, and the moment it becomes a liability.
GeoJSON Coordinate Precision: How Many Decimal Places Do You Really Need?
Most GeoJSON files carry coordinates with 14 decimal places — sub-nanometer precision for a planet with continental drift. Here's how to cut precision without losing anything that matters.
What is GeoPackage and Why Is It Replacing Shapefile?
GeoPackage looks like a 'just one more file format' but it's actually a portable SQLite database. Here's why QGIS made it the default, and the technical details that matter.
Understanding Coordinate Reference Systems: WGS84, UTM, and More
If your map looks stretched, your distances are wrong, or your data appears in the wrong ocean, the cause is almost always a CRS problem. Here's what you need to know.