What it does
ogr2ogr is GDAL's vector-data conversion command. It supports output-format selection, layer and field filtering, coordinate transformations, and geometry processing.
Select only the needed fields or features while converting a dataset, instead of exporting everything and cleaning it later. Coordinate-system assignment and transformation are different operations in the command syntax. Its overwrite, append, and update options also have different effects on the destination, so choose them explicitly in a repeatable workflow.
-overwrite deletes and recreates the destination layer; -append adds features to an existing layer and also enables update mode. Merely opening a dataset with -update is a different choice. Field selection cannot be combined with append in the same way, so use the documented mapping or SQL alternatives for that case. A format driver may also need explicit geometry-export options, as the CSV example illustrates.
Strengths
- Combines vector conversion with selection and coordinate operations.
Best for
- Scripted GIS vector-format transformations
Sources
- ogr2ogr — GDAL documentation (Oct 26, 2026)
- What is GDAL? — GDAL documentation (Oct 26, 2026)