What format should be used when archiving GPS track data?

There are currently a number of de-facto standard formats, such as KML, GPX, TRK, LTB and so on. However, none of them are clearly better over one another. Which one will last?

(Currently we are considering using GPX with custom extensions)

wizzard0

• file-formats
• future-proofing
• gis
• gps

Comments

• Michael Kjörling: What data do you need to store which require custom extensions?

Answer by db48x

Why not hedge your bets by storing the originals and converting to other formats automatically? It seems unlikely that the extra storage requirements would be prohibitive.

You could also do the future a favor and store pre-rendered maps with the tracks highlighted, so that after civilization falls our descendants will be able to reverse-engineer the WGS84 datum, allowing them to understand all that they have lost.

Comments

• Michael Kjörling: Or simply include a short, written description of the datum. It's not like WGS-84 is terribly *difficult to understand*; it should be possible to write an accurate description of what the lat/long numbers mean within a few paragraphs, and then specify the location on Earth of a few reference points (beginning with the equator and zero meridian) and some distances expressed in units of degrees (or fractions thereof) with a focus on the local geography. That should allow any competent cartographer to reconstruct the datum with little difficulty should the need arise.
• db48x: Yes, that was hyperbole. :)