Create colored shape using GDAL library

Question

I am trying to create a colored polygon using GDAL library. I am currently using the C Shape Library, but it does not allow me to use colors. Is this possible in GDAL? How?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Shapefiles don't store colors.

They only contain the geometry (points, multipoints, lines, polygons, etc) of the features and their attributes. The color of each feature depends on the software that you use to display the shapes. For instance, in ArcGIS Desktop you would use the 'Symbology' dialog box to choose colors. They can depend on the value of one or many attributes. In this case, the symbology can be stored in a separate "layer" file (.lyr).