# ESRI File Geodatabase (FileGDB)

Driver short name

FileGDB

Build dependencies

FileGDB API library

The FileGDB driver provides read and write access to vector layers of File Geodatabases (.gdb directories) created by ArcGIS 10 and above. The dataset name must be the directory/folder name, and it must end with the .gdb extension.

Note : the OpenFileGDB driver driver exists as an alternative built-in (i.e. not depending on a third-party library) driver.

Starting with GDAL 3.11, update and creation support is delegated to the OpenFileGDB driver driver.

## Driver capabilities

Supports Create()

This driver supports the `GDALDriver::Create()` operation

Supports Georeferencing

This driver supports georeferencing

## Requirements

ESRI File Geodatabase API

Curve in geometries are supported on reading.

## SQL support

SQL statements are run through the SQL engine of the FileGDB SDK API. This holds for non-SELECT statements. However, due to partial/inaccurate support for SELECT statements in current FileGDB SDK API versions (v1.2), SELECT statements will be run by default by the OGR SQL engine. This can be changed by specifying the -dialect FileGDB option to ogrinfo or ogr2ogr.

### Special SQL requests

"GetLayerDefinition a_layer_name" and "GetLayerMetadata a_layer_name" can be used as special SQL requests to get respectively the definition and metadata of a FileGDB table as XML content.

Starting with GDAL 3.5, the "REPACK" special SQL request can be issued to ask for database compaction.

## Field domains

Added in version 3.3.

Retrieving coded and range field domains are supported. Writing support has been added in GDAL 3.5.

## Relationships

Added in version 3.6.

Relationship retrieval is supported.

## Hierarchical organization

Added in version 3.4.

The hierarchical organization of tables and feature classes as top-level element or within a feature dataset can be explored using the methods `GDALDataset::GetRootGroup()`, `GDALGroup::GetGroupNames()`, `GDALGroup::OpenGroup()`, `GDALGroup::GetVectorLayerNames()` and `GDALGroup::OpenVectorLayer()`

## Geometry coordinate precision

Added in version GDAL: 3.9

The driver supports reading and writing the geometry coordinate precision, using the XYResolution, ZResolution and MResolution members of the `OGRGeomCoordinatePrecision` settings of the `OGRGeomFieldDefn`. `XYScale` is computed as 1.0 / `XYResolution` (and similarly for the Z and M components). The tolerance setting is computed as being one tenth of the resolution

On reading, the coordinate precision grid parameters are returned as format specific options of `OGRGeomCoordinatePrecision` with the `FileGeodatabase` format key, with the following option key names: `XYScale`, `XYTolerance`, `XYOrigin`, `ZScale`, `ZTolerance`, `ZOrigin`, `MScale`, `MTolerance`, `MOrigin`. On writing, they are also honored (they will have precedence over XYResolution, ZResolution and MResolution).

On layer creation, the XORIGIN, YORIGIN, ZORIGIN, MORIGIN, XYSCALE, ZSCALE, ZORIGIN, XYTOLERANCE, ZTOLERANCE, MTOLERANCE layer creation options will be used in priority over the settings of `OGRGeomCoordinatePrecision`.

## Limitations

- The SDK is known to be unable to open layers with particular spatial reference systems. This might be the case if messages "FGDB: Error opening XXXXXXX. Skipping it (Invalid function arguments.)" when running `ogrinfo --debug on the.gdb` (reported as warning in GDAL 2.0). Using the OpenFileGDB driver will generally solve that issue.

- FGDB coordinate snapping will cause geometries to be altered during writing. Use the origin and scale layer creation options to control the snapping behavior.

- Reading data compressed in SDC format (Smart Data Compression) is not support by the driver, because it is not supported by the ESRI SDK.

- Reading data compressed in CDF format (Compressed Data Format) requires ESRI SDK 1.4 or later.

- Some applications create FileGeodatabases with non-spatial tables which are not present in the GDB_Items metadata table. These tables cannot be opened by the ESRI SDK, so GDAL will automatically fallback to the OpenFileGDB driver to read these tables. Accordingly they will be opened with the limitations of the OpenFileGDB driver (for instance, they will be read only).

- The driver does not support 64-bit integers.

## Links

- ESRI File Geodatabase API Page

- OpenFileGDB driver, not depending on a third-party library/SDK