MapInfo Data File (DAT)

Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections

Introduction \| Sustainability Factors \| Content Categories \| Format Descriptions \| Contact

Format Description Categories >> Browse Alphabetical List

MapInfo Data File (DAT)

Table of Contents

Identification and description
Local use
Sustainability factors
Quality and functionality factors
File type signifiers
Notes
Format specifications
Useful references

Format Description Properties

ID: fdd000324
Short name: MapInfo_DAT
Content categories: dataset, gis
Format Category: file-format
Other facets: unitary, binary, structured, symbolic
Last significant update: 2011-08-22
Draft status: Partial

Identification and description

Relationship to other formats
Full name	MapInfo Data File (DAT)
Description	The MapInfo data file (.DAT) stores the feature attribute data in a MapInfo dataset's file group in dBase (III, IV, or V) format. The .DAT file is a heterogenous format and combines binary and ASCII data. The header contains binary data while the record data is in ASCII (except for binary record data objects like images and/or Binary Large Object Data BLObs).
Component of	MapInfo, MapInfo dataset format
Subtype of	DBF, dBASE Table File (DBF). May use file versions compatible with dBase III, IV, or V.

Local use

LC experience or existing holdings
LC preference

Sustainability factors

Disclosure	The MapInfo dataset format, which comprises a group of related files, is developed and regulated as a proprietary GIS dataset format used in MapInfo products. MapInfo's component .DAT file is a dBASE Table File in dBase (III, IV, or V) format which is well documented. As of August 2011, the MapInfo products are maintained and distributed by Pitney Bowes Business Insight.
Documentation	No complete specification is available for the MapInfo format, nor for its component .dat file. A March 2000 article in Spatial News, Notes on the MapInfo® Native table format, provides useful information on the MapInfo format, including the statement, "The structure of MapInfo® .dat file is virtually identical to dBase IV data format." See DBF for documentation for dBASE Table Files in general.
Adoption	See MapInfo.
Licensing and patents	See DBF.
Transparency	See DBF.
Self-documentation	See MapInfo.
External dependencies	None for MapInfo_DAT as an individual file.
Technical protection considerations	None

Quality and functionality factors

Dataset
Normal functionality	See MapInfo.

File type signifiers

Tag	Value	Note
Filename extension	.dat	MapInfo dat files are in the dBase format, but do not use the usual .dbf extension for such files.
Internet Media Type	application/dbf, application/dbase

Notes

General
History

Format specifications

See Disclosure under Sustainability factors.

Useful references

URLs

Notes on the MapInfo® Native table format (http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/features/mif_format/). by Anssi Joutsiniemi and Robert Edwards. March 2000
MapInfo Professional product documentation (http://www.pbinsight.com/support/product-documentation/details/mapinfo-professional). From Web site of application developer, Pitney Bowes Business Insight. User Guides provide some information about the files created by MapInfo software.

Last Updated: Monday, 22-Aug-2011 13:12:10 EDT