Which file format is generally used for uncompressed vector data storage?

The Shapefile format is commonly utilized for uncompressed vector data storage, making it a favored choice in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Shapefiles consist of several components, including the main file (.shp) which contains the geometry data, an index file (.shx) which allows for quick access to the geometries, and a dBASE file (.dbf) that stores attribute data. This structure facilitates efficient storage and management of vector data, which includes points, lines, and polygons representing geographic features.

Shapefiles maintain the integrity of geometries without compression, allowing for quick retrieval and manipulation of spatial data. This characteristic is important for various GIS applications where precision in geographic representation is crucial.

In contrast, GeoJSON is a format that uses JSON for encoding a variety of geographic data structures, which may introduce complexities not present in the straightforward Shapefile format. CSV, or Comma-Separated Values, is primarily designed for tabular data and lacks the inherent spatial capabilities needed for vector data storage. The raster option pertains to image data represented as a grid of pixels and is unrelated to vector data formats, which focus on discrete geometries. Thus, the Shapefile format stands out as the standard for uncompressed vector data