Some common, useful formats for storing this type of information…
- CSV
- GeoJSON/TopoJSON
- GML
- KML
- MySQL/SQLite/SpatiaLite/PostGIS
- NetCDF
- SVG
- VRT
- ESRI shape file
- ESRI feature class
It can also be advantageous to abstract data in memory to work with it. I had never heard of GMT or VPF until now but I’m curious about them! A colleague suggested GPKG so I have been looking into that format. I am also reading about the INTERLIS and OGC standards.
I’ve seen advice that database formats are better than file formats for spatial data, and this fits well with another project I’m working on. So, I think I will invest in learning about spatial databases.