# GeoPackage overview

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) defines GeoPackage (\*.gpkg) as an open, non-proprietary, platform-independent, standards-based data format for geographic information systems (GIS). 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 a rich end-user experience.
* Attribute names are not limited in length, making the format user friendly.
* The file size limit is large at 140 TB.

{% hint style="info" %}
*A file size limit could be imposed by the file system to which the file is written.*
{% endhint %}

* 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-and-play format.

For information on how to open, use and understand a GeoPackage dataset, please refer to our *Getting Started with GeoPackage* guide. For further information on GeoPackage, please see the [GeoPackage website](https://www.geopackage.org/).

## GeoPackage format changes <a href="#bookmark23" id="bookmark23"></a>

We've recently updated some of our products available in GeoPackage format to align with OGC standards and we've also fixed various formatting inconsistencies. For OS Open Greenspace, the updates are as follows:

* **GeoPackage attribution:** The following attribute names have been changed from title case to snake case:

### GeoPackage attribute name changes in April 2023.

| GeoPackage attribute name prior to April 2023 | GeoPackage attribute name after April 2023 |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| fid                                           | fid                                        |
| id                                            | id                                         |
| function                                      | function                                   |
| distinctiveName1                              | distinctive\_name\_1                       |
| distinctiveName2                              | distinctive\_name\_2                       |
| distinctiveName3                              | distinctive\_name\_3                       |
| distinctiveName4                              | distinctive\_name\_4                       |
| geom                                          | geometry                                   |
| accessType                                    | access\_type                               |
| refToGreenspaceSite                           | ref\_to\_greenspace\_site                  |

* **Layer names:** The following layer names have been changed from title case to snake case:
  * **AccessPoint to access\_point**
  * **GreenspaceSite to greenspace\_site**
* **Constraints**: The following constraints have been changed from title case to snake case:
  * **AccessPoint\_pkey to access\_point\_pkey**
  * **GreenspaceSite\_pkey to greenspace\_site\_pkey**

## Example records <a href="#bookmark24" id="bookmark24"></a>

### **Greenspace Site**

<figure><img src="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FPJnsllAviA6QVFzCab32%2F7.png?alt=media" alt="GeoPackage example records for Greenspace Site features."><figcaption><p>GeoPackage example records for Greenspace Site features.</p></figcaption></figure>

### **Access Point**

<figure><img src="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2F6fnMcPBYOjdBHpJGyGgE%2F8.png?alt=media" alt="GeoPackage example records for Access Point features."><figcaption><p>GeoPackage example records for Access Point features.</p></figcaption></figure>