[gdal-dev] What is the maximum number of fields a shapefile can contain?

[Djordje Spasic]

Hello everyone,

When converting an .osm file to .shp files with ogr2ogr.exe, one needs to define a list of required fields in gdal-data\osmconf.ini file.
I defined today a total of 338 field names, and the ogr2ogr.exe succeeded successfully in converting the .osm file to a .shp file containing all those 338 fields. 2 additional fields are added on top of 338 fields (osm_id, osm_way_id). Here is a screenshot of the fields from the .shp file opened in QGIS (QGIS lists fields from 0 as a starting index):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qw4uqvartn16b0b/shapefile_fields_QGIS2.jpg?dl=0

When .dbf file which is created along the .shp file is being opened in DBF Viewer, it also shows 340 fields:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hjzthyjzumjbddz/dbf_fields_DBFViewer2000.jpg?dl=0

My question is: how is this possible if a .shp file (.dbf file that is) can only store maximum of 255 fields? This is what Jukka Rahkonen pointed to me, a couple of months ago.
Does this mean that when performing conversion, the ogr2ogr.exe is using some other shapefile format?

I would welcome any kind of reply.

Best regards.
Djordje
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