ESRI

The Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) connector bridges the gap between geospatial data and analytical workflows. It allows users to query ESRI formats — such as Shapefiles (.shp), File Geodatabases (.gdb), or GeoJSON exports — using standard SQL without specialized GIS software or manual data conversion.

At its core, the connector treats each geographic layer as a structured table, automatically interpreting geometry types, attribute fields, and coordinate reference systems. When you query an ESRI dataset, the connector reads both spatial and tabular information, exposing shapes, points, and polygons as queryable geometry objects that can be filtered, aggregated, or joined with other data sources — transforming traditionally map-centric data into a form your query engine can reason about.

This connector is designed for both spatial precision and analytical flexibility. With just a few lines of configuration, you can open up geospatial datasets for visualization, reporting, or integration with business data. Yet, for more advanced workflows — such as coordinate transformations, multi-layer joins, or spatial indexing — you can fine-tune behavior using a rich set of options that control how Metaform interprets and optimizes spatial operations.