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With this option it is possible to read a GIS file written in ESRI Shapefile format (version 1000). Shapefiles have the .shp extension.
The auxiliary associated file .dbf contain a table of extra attached data, in DBase format. The Tcl 'dbf' package allow read/write this format at scripting level.
GiD can optionally read the .dbf file and create GiD conditions with its fields and attach them to the geometry.