GDAL-VECTOR-SELECT(1) GDAL GDAL-VECTOR-SELECT(1)
gdal-vector-select - Select a subset of fields from a vector dataset
Added in version 3.11.
Usage: gdal vector select [OPTIONS] <INPUT> <OUTPUT> <FIELDS>
Select a subset of fields from a vector dataset.
Positional arguments:
-i, --input <INPUT> Input vector datasets [required]
-o, --output <OUTPUT> Output vector dataset [required]
--fields <FIELDS> Fields to select (or exclude if --exclude) [may be repeated] [required]
Common Options:
-h, --help Display help message and exit
--json-usage Display usage as JSON document and exit
--config <KEY>=<VALUE> Configuration option [may be repeated]
-q, --quiet Quiet mode (no progress bar)
Options:
-l, --layer, --input-layer <INPUT-LAYER> Input layer name(s) [may be repeated]
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT> Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
--co, --creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Creation option [may be repeated]
--lco, --layer-creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Layer creation option [may be repeated]
--overwrite Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--update Whether to open existing dataset in update mode
--overwrite-layer Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--append Whether appending to existing layer is allowed
Mutually exclusive with --upsert
--output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER> Output layer name
--skip-errors Skip errors when writing features
--active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER> Set active layer (if not specified, all)
--exclude Exclude specified fields
Mutually exclusive with --ignore-missing-fields
--ignore-missing-fields Ignore missing fields
Mutually exclusive with --exclude
Advanced Options:
--if, --input-format <INPUT-FORMAT> Input formats [may be repeated]
--oo, --open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Open options [may be repeated]
--output-oo, --output-open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Output open options [may be repeated]
--upsert Upsert features (implies 'append')
Mutually exclusive with --append
gdal vector select can be used to select a subset of fields.
select can also be used as a step of gdal vector pipeline.
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>
Which output vector format to use. Allowed values may be given
by gdal --formats | grep vector | grep rw | sort
--co, --creation-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Many formats have one or more optional dataset creation
options that can be used to control particulars about the file
created. For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports creation
options to control the version.
May be repeated.
The dataset creation options available vary by format driver,
and some simple formats have no creation options at all. A
list of options supported for a format can be listed with the
--formats command line option but the documentation for the
format is the definitive source of information on driver
creation options. See Vector drivers format specific
documentation for legal creation options for each format.
Note that dataset creation options are different from layer
creation options.
-lco <NAME>=<VALUE>
Layer creation option (format specific)
--overwrite
Allow program to overwrite existing target file or dataset.
Otherwise, by default, gdal errors out if the target file or
dataset already exists.
--active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER>
Set the active layer. When it is specified, only the layer
specified by its name will be subject to the processing. Other
layers will be not modified. If this option is not specified,
all layers will be subject to the processing.
--fields <FIELDS>
Comma-separated list of fields from input layer to copy to the
new layer (or to exclude if --exclude is specified)
Field names with spaces, commas or double-quote should be
surrounded with a starting and ending double-quote character,
and double-quote characters in a field name should be escaped
with backslash.
Depending on the shell used, this might require further
quoting. For example, to select regular_field, a_field_with
space, and comma and a field with " double quote with a Unix
shell:
--fields "regular_field,\"a_field_with space, and comma\",\"a field with \\\" double quote\""
A field is only selected once, even if mentioned several times
in the list.
Geometry fields can also be specified in the list. If the
source layer has no explicit name for the geometry field,
_ogr_geometry_ must be used to select the unique geometry
field.
Specifying a non-existing source field name results in an
error.
--ignore-missing-fields
By default, if a field specified by --fields does not exist in
the input layer(s), an error is emitted and the processing is
stopped. When specifying --ignore-missing-fields, only a
warning is emitted and the non existing fields are just
ignored.
--exclude
Modifies the behavior of the algorithm such that all fields
are selected, except the ones mentioned by --fields.
--oo, --open-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Dataset open option (format specific).
May be repeated.
--if, --input-format <format>
Format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s).
It is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be
used to skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to
select the appropriate driver. This option can be repeated
several times to specify several candidate drivers. Note that
it does not force those drivers to open the dataset. In
particular, some drivers have requirements on file extensions.
May be repeated.
GDALG OUTPUT (ON-THE-FLY / STREAMED DATASET)
This program supports serializing the command line as a JSON file
using the GDALG output format. The resulting file can then be opened
as a vector dataset using the GDALG: GDAL Streamed Algorithm driver,
and apply the specified pipeline in a on-the-fly / streamed way.
Example 1: Select the EAS_ID field and the geometry field from a
Shapefile
$ gdal vector select in.shp out.gpkg "EAS_ID,_ogr_geometry_" --overwrite
Example 2: Remove sensitive fields from a layer
$ gdal vector select in.shp out.gpkg --exclude "name,surname,address" --overwrite
Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com>
1998-2026
March 20, 2026 GDAL-VECTOR-SELECT(1)
NAME
gdal-vector-select - Select a subset of fields from a vector dataset
Added in version 3.11.
SYNOPSIS
Usage: gdal vector select [OPTIONS] <INPUT> <OUTPUT> <FIELDS>
Select a subset of fields from a vector dataset.
Positional arguments:
-i, --input <INPUT> Input vector datasets [required]
-o, --output <OUTPUT> Output vector dataset [required]
--fields <FIELDS> Fields to select (or exclude if --exclude) [may be repeated] [required]
Common Options:
-h, --help Display help message and exit
--json-usage Display usage as JSON document and exit
--config <KEY>=<VALUE> Configuration option [may be repeated]
-q, --quiet Quiet mode (no progress bar)
Options:
-l, --layer, --input-layer <INPUT-LAYER> Input layer name(s) [may be repeated]
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT> Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
--co, --creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Creation option [may be repeated]
--lco, --layer-creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Layer creation option [may be repeated]
--overwrite Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--update Whether to open existing dataset in update mode
--overwrite-layer Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
--append Whether appending to existing layer is allowed
Mutually exclusive with --upsert
--output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER> Output layer name
--skip-errors Skip errors when writing features
--active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER> Set active layer (if not specified, all)
--exclude Exclude specified fields
Mutually exclusive with --ignore-missing-fields
--ignore-missing-fields Ignore missing fields
Mutually exclusive with --exclude
Advanced Options:
--if, --input-format <INPUT-FORMAT> Input formats [may be repeated]
--oo, --open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Open options [may be repeated]
--output-oo, --output-open-option <KEY>=<VALUE> Output open options [may be repeated]
--upsert Upsert features (implies 'append')
Mutually exclusive with --append
DESCRIPTION
gdal vector select can be used to select a subset of fields.
select can also be used as a step of gdal vector pipeline.
Standard options
-f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>
Which output vector format to use. Allowed values may be given
by gdal --formats | grep vector | grep rw | sort
--co, --creation-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Many formats have one or more optional dataset creation
options that can be used to control particulars about the file
created. For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports creation
options to control the version.
May be repeated.
The dataset creation options available vary by format driver,
and some simple formats have no creation options at all. A
list of options supported for a format can be listed with the
--formats command line option but the documentation for the
format is the definitive source of information on driver
creation options. See Vector drivers format specific
documentation for legal creation options for each format.
Note that dataset creation options are different from layer
creation options.
-lco <NAME>=<VALUE>
Layer creation option (format specific)
--overwrite
Allow program to overwrite existing target file or dataset.
Otherwise, by default, gdal errors out if the target file or
dataset already exists.
--active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER>
Set the active layer. When it is specified, only the layer
specified by its name will be subject to the processing. Other
layers will be not modified. If this option is not specified,
all layers will be subject to the processing.
--fields <FIELDS>
Comma-separated list of fields from input layer to copy to the
new layer (or to exclude if --exclude is specified)
Field names with spaces, commas or double-quote should be
surrounded with a starting and ending double-quote character,
and double-quote characters in a field name should be escaped
with backslash.
Depending on the shell used, this might require further
quoting. For example, to select regular_field, a_field_with
space, and comma and a field with " double quote with a Unix
shell:
--fields "regular_field,\"a_field_with space, and comma\",\"a field with \\\" double quote\""
A field is only selected once, even if mentioned several times
in the list.
Geometry fields can also be specified in the list. If the
source layer has no explicit name for the geometry field,
_ogr_geometry_ must be used to select the unique geometry
field.
Specifying a non-existing source field name results in an
error.
--ignore-missing-fields
By default, if a field specified by --fields does not exist in
the input layer(s), an error is emitted and the processing is
stopped. When specifying --ignore-missing-fields, only a
warning is emitted and the non existing fields are just
ignored.
--exclude
Modifies the behavior of the algorithm such that all fields
are selected, except the ones mentioned by --fields.
Advanced options
--oo, --open-option <NAME>=<VALUE>
Dataset open option (format specific).
May be repeated.
--if, --input-format <format>
Format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s).
It is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be
used to skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to
select the appropriate driver. This option can be repeated
several times to specify several candidate drivers. Note that
it does not force those drivers to open the dataset. In
particular, some drivers have requirements on file extensions.
May be repeated.
GDALG OUTPUT (ON-THE-FLY / STREAMED DATASET)
This program supports serializing the command line as a JSON file
using the GDALG output format. The resulting file can then be opened
as a vector dataset using the GDALG: GDAL Streamed Algorithm driver,
and apply the specified pipeline in a on-the-fly / streamed way.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Select the EAS_ID field and the geometry field from a
Shapefile
$ gdal vector select in.shp out.gpkg "EAS_ID,_ogr_geometry_" --overwrite
Example 2: Remove sensitive fields from a layer
$ gdal vector select in.shp out.gpkg --exclude "name,surname,address" --overwrite
AUTHOR
Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com>
COPYRIGHT
1998-2026
March 20, 2026 GDAL-VECTOR-SELECT(1)