shapelib ☆
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Description:
Library for reading and writing ArcView Shapefiles
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: gis shapefile geospatial c-library vector-data
Install: brew install shapelib
About:
Shapelib is a lightweight C library designed for reading and writing ESRI Shapefiles, along with associated DBF and SHX files. It provides a simple API for developers to integrate geospatial data handling into applications without heavy dependencies. Its main value is enabling fast, low-level access to vector GIS data formats.
Key Features:
  • Minimal dependencies, written in C
  • Supports reading and writing Shapefiles and DBF tables
  • Simple, low-level API for direct file manipulation
  • Portable across multiple operating systems
Use Cases:
  • Building custom GIS tools that process Shapefile data
  • Converting geospatial data between formats
  • Embedding Shapefile support in embedded or performance-critical applications
Alternatives:
  • GDAL – GDAL is a much larger, comprehensive geospatial data library that supports many formats beyond Shapefiles, but Shapelib is lighter and more focused.
  • PyShp – PyShp is a pure Python library for Shapefiles, ideal for Python workflows, while Shapelib provides a C-based solution for lower-level integration.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 23, 2025 5:22pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 37f1cb71
Sep 11, 2025 5:24am 0 VERSION_BUMP 2a24c705
Sep 11, 2024 5:20am 0 VERSION_BUMP 99429a46
Dec 22, 2023 5:34pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 763b3f06
Sep 24, 2023 11:57am 0 VERSION_BUMP 7ff6520d
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