Pointfeature

Point feature, often written as point feature in GIS literature, is a basic vector geometry representing a single geographic location. In GIS, a point feature has a geometry consisting of coordinates (x, y) in a projected coordinate system or (longitude, latitude) in a geographic coordinate system, and may include z (elevation) or m (measure) values. Each point is stored together with attribute data in a feature class or layer, so it can describe properties such as name, type, measurement, or status.

Point features are used to represent discrete locations such as cities, weather stations, utility poles, landmarks, sampling sites, or incident sites. They are often combined with line and polygon features to form comprehensive spatial datasets and mapping products. Data for point features can be created by digitizing from a map, importing from GPS measurements, or converting from other sources, and are typically managed within geographic information system databases or file formats such as shapefiles, GeoJSON, or GeoPackage.

Standards and formats tied to point features include the OGC Simple Feature Access model and corresponding data formats that support geometry with attributes. Common tasks involve symbolizing points for map readability, performing distance or proximity analyses, and joining additional data to point attributes. Limitations include the inability to convey area or length directly and potential positional inaccuracies if the coordinates are imprecise. Point features remain foundational for representing specific locations within broader spatial analyses.