- Title
- GeoPackage Profile
- Description
- A GeoPackage is an open, standards-based, platform-independent, portable, self-describing, compact format for transferring geospatial information. The GeoPackage standard describes a set of conventions for storing within a SQLite database vector features, tile matrix sets of imagery and raster maps at various scales and extensions. Please note that the spatial extent, vector and raster content, use of extensions, CRS, and metadata of a GeoPackage will generally be based on the intended use and the existing capabilities of system(s) that will use the GeoPackage.
Taxonomy
Standards
Guidance
All geopackages are based on version 3 of the SQLite file format, and will have a file name of “.gpkg”. The only tables that are mandated are the gpkg_spatial_ref_sys table and the gpkg_contents table. The gpkg_spatial_ref_sys table contains the spatial (coordinate) reference system (SRS) definitions needed by the gpk_contents and the gpkg_geometry_columns table to relate the vector and tile data in user tables to locations on the earth. The gpkg_contents table provides a list of all the geospatial contents in a GeoPackage and provides identifying and descriptive information that an application can display to a user as a menu of geospatial data that is available for access and/or update.
Further implementation guidance can be found in DGIWG 126, the (DRAFT) DGIWG GeoPackage Profile, DRAFT Rev 2.1 (STD-DP-19-005), June 10, 2021, expected ratification April 2022. Providers should put emphasis on DGIWG Profile requirements and recommendations.
The DGIWG Profile of Geopackage provides the following advantages to the users of GeoPackage data
- common tile matrix set zoom levels and tile size;
- common map projections for global data exchange and exploitation;
- metadata populated for discovery, awareness and source of GeoPackage content;
- agreement on extensions used;
- compliance definition with abstract test suite.