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Glossary

Definitions of terms and acronyms used throughout the GeoETL documentation.

A​

Apache Arrow​

A cross-language development platform for in-memory data with a columnar memory format. GeoETL uses Arrow internally for efficient data processing.

Apache DataFusion​

A pluggable and extensible query execution framework that provides SQL and DataFrame APIs. GeoETL leverages DataFusion for vectorized execution and its extensible architecture for adding geospatial capabilities.

Apache Parquet​

A columnar storage file format optimized for use with big data processing frameworks. GeoParquet extends Parquet with geospatial capabilities.

C​

CLI​

Command-Line Interface. A text-based interface for running programs by typing commands. GeoETL is a CLI tool.

Columnar Format​

A file format that stores data by column rather than by row. Examples include Parquet and Arrow. Columnar formats enable efficient compression and fast column-oriented queries.

Convert​

The primary GeoETL command for converting data between formats:

geoetl-cli convert -i input.geojson -o output.csv \
  --input-driver GeoJSON --output-driver CSV

Coordinate Reference System (CRS)​

A coordinate-based system used to locate geographical entities. Defines how coordinates relate to real-world locations. Common example: WGS84 (EPSG:4326).

CSV​

Comma Separated Value. A simple text file format that stores tabular data. In GeoETL, CSV files contain geometries in WKT format.

D​

Dataset​

A collection of geographic features and their associated data. In GeoETL, a dataset may be a single file or a folder (e.g., Shapefile uses multiple files, GeoParquet can be partitioned).

Driver​

A software component that enables GeoETL to read from and write to specific file formats. See Supported Drivers for the complete list.

E​

ETL​

Extract, Transform, Load. The process of extracting data from sources, transforming it to fit operational needs, and loading it into a target system.

EPSG​

European Petroleum Survey Group. Known for creating the EPSG Geodetic Parameter Dataset, a database of coordinate systems. Example: EPSG:4326 is WGS84.

F​

Feature​

A geographic entity with properties and geometry. In GeoJSON:

{
  "type": "Feature",
  "properties": {"name": "San Francisco"},
  "geometry": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-122.4194, 37.7749]}
}

FeatureCollection​

A collection of features. The standard top-level GeoJSON structure:

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [...]
}

G​

GeoArrow​

A specification for storing geospatial data in Apache Arrow format. GeoETL uses GeoArrow types internally.

GeoJSON​

A JSON-based format for encoding geographic data structures (RFC 7946). The web-standard format for geospatial data.

Geometry​

The spatial component of a feature describing its shape and location. Types include Point, LineString, Polygon, and their Multi* variants.

GeoParquet​

A specification for storing geospatial data in Apache Parquet format, combining Parquet's columnar efficiency with geospatial capabilities.

GDAL​

Geospatial Data Abstraction Library. A comprehensive translator library for geospatial data formats. GeoETL is inspired by GDAL's ogr2ogr tool.

I​

Info​

A GeoETL command that displays information about a dataset:

geoetl-cli info data.geojson --driver GeoJSON

J​

JSON​

JavaScript Object Notation. A lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write. GeoJSON is based on JSON.

L​

LineString​

A geometry type representing a series of connected line segments. Example:

{
  "type": "LineString",
  "coordinates": [[-122.4, 37.7], [-74.0, 40.7]]
}

M​

MultiPoint, MultiLineString, MultiPolygon​

Geometry types representing collections of Points, LineStrings, or Polygons respectively.

O​

ogr2ogr​

A GDAL command-line utility for converting between different vector data formats. GeoETL provides a modern alternative for common use cases.

P​

Parquet​

See Apache Parquet.

Point​

A geometry type representing a single location in coordinate space. Example:

{
  "type": "Point",
  "coordinates": [-122.4194, 37.7749]
}

Polygon​

A geometry type representing a closed area. Example:

{
  "type": "Polygon",
  "coordinates": [[
    [-122.4, 37.8], [-122.4, 37.7],
    [-122.5, 37.7], [-122.5, 37.8],
    [-122.4, 37.8]
  ]]
}

Predicate Pushdown​

A query optimization technique where filters are applied as early as possible, ideally before reading data from disk. GeoParquet supports this through columnar storage.

R​

RFC 7946​

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard that defines the GeoJSON format. Published in August 2016.

Row-Oriented Format​

A file format that stores data by row (record). Examples include CSV and traditional JSON. Contrast with columnar formats.

Rust​

A systems programming language focused on safety, speed, and concurrency. GeoETL is written in Rust.

S​

Shapefile​

A popular geospatial vector data format developed by Esri. Support planned for GeoETL in Q1 2026.

Spatial Reference System (SRS)​

See Coordinate Reference System (CRS).

Streaming​

A processing technique where data is read and written in chunks rather than loading everything into memory. GeoETL uses streaming for constant memory usage.

V​

Vector Data​

Geospatial data represented using geometric primitives such as points, lines, and polygons.

Vectorized Execution​

A processing technique where operations are performed on batches of data rather than individual records, leveraging modern CPU SIMD instructions for performance.

W​

WGS84​

World Geodetic System 1984. The standard coordinate system used by GPS and the default for GeoJSON (EPSG:4326).

WKB​

Well-Known Binary. A binary representation of geometries as defined by the OpenGIS Simple Features specification. Used in GeoParquet for geometry storage.

WKT​

Well-Known Text. A text representation of geometries as defined by the OpenGIS Simple Features specification. Widely used across geospatial data formats for human-readable geometry storage.

Examples:

POINT(-122.4194 37.7749)
LINESTRING(-122 37, -121 38)
POLYGON((-122 37, -121 37, -121 38, -122 38, -122 37))

Format Abbreviations​

AbbreviationFull NameDescription
CSVComma Separated ValueText-based tabular format
JSONJavaScript Object NotationText-based data interchange format
WKBWell-Known BinaryBinary geometry encoding
WKTWell-Known TextText geometry encoding
CRSCoordinate Reference SystemCoordinate system definition
SRSSpatial Reference SystemSame as CRS
EPSGEuropean Petroleum Survey GroupCoordinate system authority
RFCRequest for CommentsInternet standards documents

GeoETL-Specific Terms​

Driver​

In GeoETL, a driver is a module that handles reading from and writing to a specific geospatial format. See Supported Drivers for the complete list.

Capability​

What a driver can do: Info (read metadata), Read (load data), Write (save data).

Geometry Column​

For CSV files, the column name containing WKT geometries. Must be specified with --geometry-column:

geoetl-cli convert -i data.csv -o data.geojson \
  --input-driver CSV --output-driver GeoJSON \
  --geometry-column geometry

See Also​

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