GDAL-VECTOR(1)

💖 gdal-vector — Entry point for vector commands 🦋

okay bestie, listen up 💅 this is the front door to the whole gdal vector universe — like, the group chat you join before you slide into every other vector command. It's the page for the gdal-vector command (yes, it lives inside the GDAL manual), and it was Added in version 3.11. so if you're on something older, this is not your era yet 😭

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

here's the whole vibe, verbatim, no edits:

Usage: gdal vector <SUBCOMMAND> [OPTIONS]
where <SUBCOMMAND> is one of:
  - buffer:              Compute a buffer around geometries of a vector dataset.
  - check-coverage:      Check a polygon coverage for validity
  - check-geometry:      Check a dataset for invalid geometries
  - clean-coverage:      Alter polygon boundaries to make shared edges identical, removing gaps and overlaps
  - clip:                Clip a vector dataset.
  - combine:             Combine features into collections
  - concat:              Concatenate vector datasets.
  - concave-hull:        Compute the concave hull of geometries of a vector dataset.
  - convert:             Convert a vector dataset.
  - convex-hull:         Compute the convex hull of geometries of a vector dataset.
  - create:              Create a vector dataset.
  - dissolve:            Dissolves multipart features
  - edit:                Edit metadata of a vector dataset.
  - explode-collections: Explode geometries of type collection of a vector dataset.
  - export-schema:       Export the OGR_SCHEMA from a vector dataset.
  - filter:              Filter a vector dataset.
  - grid:                Create a regular grid from scattered points.
  - index:               Create a vector index of vector datasets.
  - info:                Return information on a vector dataset.
  - layer-algebra:       Perform algebraic operation between 2 layers.
  - make-point:          Create point geometries from attribute fields
  - make-valid:          Fix validity of geometries of a vector dataset.
  - partition:           Partition a vector dataset into multiple files.
  - pipeline:            Process a vector dataset applying several steps.
  - rasterize:           Burns vector geometries into a raster.
  - rename-layer:        Rename layer(s) of a vector dataset.
  - reproject:           Reproject a vector dataset.
  - segmentize:          Segmentize geometries of a vector dataset.
  - select:              Select a subset of fields from a vector dataset.
  - set-field-type:      Modify the type of a field of a vector dataset.
  - set-geom-type:       Modify the geometry type of a vector dataset.
  - simplify:            Simplify geometries of a vector dataset.
  - simplify-coverage:   Simplify shared boundaries of a polygonal vector dataset.
  - sort:                Spatially order the features in a layer
  - sql:                 Apply SQL statement(s) to a dataset.
  - swap-xy:             Swap X and Y coordinates of geometries of a vector dataset.
  - update:              Update an existing vector dataset with an input vector dataset.

Common Options:
  -h, --help              Display help message and exit
  --json-usage            Display usage as JSON document and exit
  --config <KEY>=<VALUE>  Configuration option [may be repeated]

Options:
  --drivers               Display vector driver list as JSON document and exit

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🫶 the Common Options (the ones every subcommand fw)

• -h, --help — just wants to show you the help message and dip. exit, stage left. 🎀
• --json-usage — spits the usage out as a JSON document and bounces.
• --config <KEY>=<VALUE> — sets a configuration option, and psst — it may be repeated, so stack those bad boys as much as you want ✨

and then the lonely lil' extra:

• --drivers — gives you the vector driver list as a JSON document, then exits. it's giving ✨catalogue✨.

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🌈 AVAILABLE SUB-COMMANDS 🌈

every one of these is its own whole thing, go read their pages:

• gdal vector clip
• gdal vector concat
• gdal vector convert
• gdal vector create
• gdal vector edit
• gdal vector filter
• gdal vector index
• gdal vector info
• gdal vector export-schema
• gdal vector layer-algebra
• gdal vector partition
• gdal vector pipeline
• gdal vector rasterize
• gdal vector rename-layer
• gdal vector reproject
• gdal vector select
• gdal vector set-field-type
• gdal vector set-geom-type
• gdal vector sql
• gdal vector update

lowkey important: the subcommand list up in the SYNOPSIS has way more entries than this section — this is just the set that has its own page. don't come for me, that's literally what the original says 💀

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💅 EXAMPLES 💅

Example 1:</> Getting information on the file poly.gpkg (with text output)

$ gdal vector info poly.gpkg

Example 2:</> Converting file poly.gpkg to Esri File Geodatabase

$ gdal vector convert --format=OpenFileGDB poly.gpkg poly.gdb

Example 3:</> Check if the vector Parquet driver is installed

Bash 🐚

gdal vector --formats | grep Parquet

PowerShell 💠

gdal vector --formats | Select-String "Parquet"

see how she ate that? pick your shell, same energy 🔥

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🌸 AUTHOR 🌸

Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com> — an absolute icon, no cap 👑

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👑 COPYRIGHT 👑

1998-2026

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okay that's the whole thing, bestie, you're officially educated 🎓 slay responsibly and always check your geometry validity 🦋💖

this was GDAL-VECTOR(1) from the GDAL manual, dated Aug 18, 2026 — mwah, periodt 💅✨