When you collect GPS points, you will often collect other information associated to the points. It is a common task to add that information to the database. As we mentioned before, you could add the information while you are creating the text file, or directly in the attribute table, as long as you have created the fields in the first line of the X/Y text file.

To modify the attribute table, select the shapefile in the legend, then hit the "open table" http://linuxlab.sbs.umass.edu/intro-fossgis-umass/index.php?title=Image:Open_table.jpg button:

Figure 12: Attribute table

We will fill in the "USE" column. Click "start editing" in the top-right corner in the attribute table. Double click in the cells you want to update. Make up your own info or copy what's provided here. After you are done with your edits, click "stop editing" and save edits.

Figure 13: Editing Attribute Table

Congratulations! You've just input GPS points, converted them from a text file to a shape file, and added extra data to them.