SHPCAT(1)

📦
version 1.6.3 · 10 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

✨ NAME ✨

shpcat — bestie, this one appends the records of a source shapefile 💖

so like, real quick, what even is this page? it's SHPCAT(1), and it lives in the shplib manual, and it's here to help you smash one shapefile's records onto the end of another one. iconic behaviour tbh 🦋

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

shpcat [-v] [-f] from_shpfile to_shpfile

yeah that's it. three little pieces and two optional lil flags. we love a low-maintenance queen 👑

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so picture this: you've got a shapefile and you want its records to be the problem of another shapefile. that's literally the whole job. shpcat appends the content of a source shapefile into a destination shapefile. done. slay ✨

but — and this is the part where you have to pay attention, bestie, no scrolling — both files must be the same shapefile type. same type or it's not happening. that's non-negotiable, it's the vibe check, it's the law 💅

🌸 OPTIONS 🌸

  • -v — verbose mode, aka shpcat starts yapping about what it's doing. not me wanting to see everything 🫶
  • -f — forces data conversion. you need this when the data field types aren't the same at both files, or when there's any null value in the from_DBFfile. lowkey the rescue flag 🙈
  • from_shpfile — the source shapefile. the giver. the main character 🔥
  • to_shpfile — the destination shapefile. the receiver. it's giving generous, honestly 👑

🦋 EXAMPLE 🦋

shpcat -v shapefile1 shapefile2

look at her go. verbosely. into shapefile2 she goes 💀✨

👑 AUTHOR 👑

shpcat is part of shapelib, maintained by Frank Warmerdam. this guide was created by Eduardo Patoo Kanegae and converted to manpage by Johan Van de Wauw. the whole friend group ATE 🌈

🍓 SEE ALSO 🍓

go read the whole clique, iykyk 🧚

and that's the page, bestie!! shplib, dated March 2026, filed under SHPCAT(1). drink water, back up your shapefiles, and stay hydrated 💜⭐🎀

📦 where this page comes from