Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS)

Profile Development—A profile is a clearly defined and limited subset of the SDTS, designed for use with a specific type of data. The most effective way to use the SDTS is to first define a profile; encoding and decoding software can then be designed to handle only the options in the profile. The USGS will continue to provide technical guidance to organizations wishing to design, implement, and maintain additional SDTS profiles.