GPX, or GPS Exchange Format, is an XML schema designed as a common GPS data format for software applications. It can be used to describe waypoints, tracks, and routes. It is an open format[2] and can be used without the need to pay license fees. Location data (and optionally elevation, time, and other information) is stored in tags and can be interchanged between GPS devices and software. Common software applications for the data include viewing tracks projected onto various map sources, annotating maps, and geotagging photographs based on the time they were taken.
Data types
A GPX file's main components include waypoints, routes, and tracks:
A waypoint (wptType) consists of the WGS 84 (GPS) coordinates of a point and possibly other descriptive information.
A route (rteType) is an ordered list of routepoints (or waypoints representing a series of significant turn or stage points) leading to a destination.[3] In general, a route is used to describe directions for a journey which someone wants to take at some point in the future.
A track (trkType) contains a series of waypoints what might also contain a timestamp. It is typically used to represent journeys which somebody has already completed or recorded.
In addition to the above, GPX files can also contain additional data. The minimum properties for a GPX file are latitude and longitude for every single point. Some vendors, such as Humminbird}} and Garmin, use extensions to the GPX format for recording street address, phone number, business category, air temperature, depth of water, and other parameters.[4][5]
The document below is a sample GPX file which contains three waypoints which correspond to the locations of the German, Swiss, and Austrian parliaments.
Data nameValid GPX example without special charactersAuthor name35.0Reichstag (Berlin)City179Parlament (Wien)CityBundeshaus (Bern)City
