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Supply formats overview

CSV

A comma-separated values (CSV) file is a common interchange format for spreadsheets and databases that facilitates the simplistic use of data. Each field is either textual (for example, SO515RU) or numeric (for example, 21). Within the CSV, each field is separated from the next by a comma. This method of representation can also be referred to as a comma-delimited file (CDF). CSV file format is universally supported for easy ingestion into all major database products.

CSV files are designed to be opened in a database or GIS application and opening them in other software applications might corrupt the data. In particular, Excel has a row limit that is easily exceeded by large CSV files. We recommend that you load CSV files directly into a database or GIS, rather than trying to open these files in Excel.

GML

OS Open Names is supplied in Geography Markup Language (GML) version 3.2.1. It is recommended that you read this sub-section in conjunction with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) document 'Geography Markup Language v3.2.1' PDF document.

An understanding of XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language) and XML schemas is required. The XML specifications that GML is based on are available from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) website.

Schema overview and location

XML schemas are used to define and validate the format and content of GML. The GML 3.2.1 specification provides a set of schemas that define the GML feature constructs and geometric types. These are designed to be used as a basis for building application-specific schemas, which define the data content.

The Ordnance Survey application schema OSOpenNames.xsd, which is referenced by the data, is available on the OS website. It imports the GML 3.2.1 schemas which rely on XML as defined by W3C at: http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace.html.

GeoPackage

GeoPackage (*.gpkg) is an open, non-proprietary, platform-independent, standards-based, data format for geographic information systems (GIS), as defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). It is designed to be a lightweight format that can contain large amounts of varied and complex data in a single, easy-to- distribute and ready-to-use file. GeoPackage is natively supported by numerous software applications.

GeoPackage offer users the following benefits:

  • The single file is easy to transfer and offers the end-user a rich experience.

  • Attribute names are not limited in length, making the format user friendly.

  • The file size limit is large at 140 TB.

A file size limit could be imposed by the file system to which the file is written.

  • It supports raster, vector and database formats, making it a highly versatile solution.

  • It is an OGC standard.

  • In most cases, it is a plug-in-and-play format.

GeoPackage format changes

From January 2023, the following attribute names have been changed from Title case to snake case in GeoPackage format:

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