GDALkirjaston

GDALkirjaston, often referred to as GDAL, is a widely used open-source geospatial data abstraction library. It provides a translation layer for raster geospatial data formats, enabling a wide variety of raster data formats to be read and written. GDAL also includes a set of utilities for manipulating and processing raster data. The library is written in C++ and is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The GDAL library's primary purpose is to simplify the process of working with different geospatial data formats. Instead of needing to implement specific code for each format, developers can use GDAL's common interface to access and manipulate data. This abstraction significantly reduces the development effort required for applications that deal with various raster types.

Key functionalities of GDAL include reading and writing numerous raster formats such as GeoTIFF, JPEG2000, HDF, NetCDF, and many more. It supports a vast array of projections and coordinate systems, facilitating transformations between them. GDAL also offers command-line utilities for common raster operations like format conversion, subsetting, reprojecting, and mosaic operations. These utilities are often used in scripting and automated workflows.

GDAL is a foundational component for many other geospatial software and services, including QGIS, GRASS GIS, and numerous web mapping platforms. Its open-source nature and comprehensive format support have made it an indispensable tool for geospatial professionals, researchers, and developers worldwide. The library is actively maintained and developed by a global community.