ESRI Shapefile (shapefile, SHP)

ESRI Shapefile is a file format for storing spatial data along with attributes, developed a long time ago by the company ESRI.

A Shapefile is:

1. cumbersome, because it actually consists of several files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj), and losing any of these component files makes it impossible to open in GIS software,
2. inconvenient, because an attribute name can have a maximum of 10 characters, and an attribute value a maximum of 256 characters,
3. prone to corruption, because it is a closed binary format,

but:

1. It is widely loved by GIS users and, despite its drawbacks, remains the most popular format.
2. It can be opened by virtually any software, including QGIS.

In the System:

1. data can be exported to the Shapefile format
2. a data source can be created based on a Shapefile.