Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python - Second Edition

File structure

The preceding elements can be stored in a variety of ways in a single file, multiple files, or database depending on the format. Additionally, this geospatial information can be stored in a variety of formats, including embedded binary headers, XML, database tables, spreadsheets/CSV, separate text, or binary files.

Human readable formats such as XML files, spreadsheets, and structured text files require only a text editor to investigate. These files are also easily parsed and processed using Python's built-in modules, data types, and string manipulation functions. Binary-based formats are more complicated. It is thus typically easier to use a third-party library to deal with binary formats.

However, you don't have to use a third-party ...