ogr

OGR is the vector data access component of the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL). It provides a C++ API and language bindings (notably Python) for reading, writing, and manipulating vector geospatial data across a broad set of formats. Through a driver-based architecture, OGR abstracts the details of individual formats, enabling applications to access features and attributes in a uniform way.

Supported formats include Shapefile, GeoJSON, GeoPackage, KML, GML, GPX, MapInfo TAB, ESRI File Geodatabase, PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, and many others. The library also supports operations such as feature iteration, attribute querying, spatial filtering, and coordinate transformations via the GDAL/OGR spatial reference system. A command-line utility, ogr2ogr, is widely used to convert, merge, reproject, and process vector data between formats.

OGR is part of the open-source GDAL project and is licensed under a permissive license compatible with many open-source licenses. It is cross-platform and has bindings for several programming languages, making it a common backbone for GIS workflows and data interoperability. Effectively, OGR enables users to access and translate vector data without requiring format-specific libraries.

Development of OGR began in the late 1990s as part of the GDAL project, led by Frank Warmerdam and collaborators. Over time, it evolved into the main vector data engine for GDAL, expanding driver support and improving performance, reliability, and API consistency. It remains actively maintained and widely used in open-source and commercial GIS software.