Encoded polylines are boundary definitions in a space-saving and efficient format.
They are used in many applications, from GIS tools to BI applications and more.
The **Encoded Polyline** plugin for QGIS allows you to export encoded polylines in a friendly CSV format for use in your applications.
- Install QGIS from QGIS.org
![Downloading QGIS](readme/img/1.png) 2. Load QGIS and go to Plugins -> Manage and Install Plugins
![Loading the Plugins window](readme/img/3.png) 3. Under the All tab, search for "encoded polyline" and click **Encoded Polyline Exporter** (your interface may differ slightly)
![Loading the Plugins window](readme/img/4b.png) 4. Click the *Install plugin* button and wait for installation to complete (an icon should appear on your top toolbar) 5. You're good to use the plugin!
- Install QGIS from QGIS.org
![Downloading QGIS](readme/img/1.png) 2. Download the Encoded Polyline source files from [Github](http://www.github.com/) (click the Download ZIP button in the lower right) 3. Extract the downloaded ZIP file 4. Cut or Copy the **encodedPolyline** folder from inside the **dist** folder 5. Paste or Move the **encodedPolyline** folder into your Plugin folder: + Windows - `%USERPROFILE%\.qgis2\python\plugins` + OSX/Unix - `~/.qgis2/python/plugins`
![After moving into Plugins folder](readme/img/2.png) 6. Load QGIS and go to Plugins -> Manage and Install Plugins
![Loading the Plugins window](readme/img/3.png) 7. Under the Installed tab, check the box next to the **Encoded Polyline Exporter** plugin (an icon should appear on your top toolbar)
![Checking the Encoded Polyline box](readme/img/4.png) 8. You're good to use the plugin!
- Load up a SHP or any file with boundary demarcations
- Click the Encoded Polyline icon on your top toolbar
![After clicking the Encoded Polyline icon](readme/img/5.png) 3. Choose a Destination and column Prefix, then click OK + If you see a python error after clicking save, try again and choose a different save location 4. Open the created CSV in your spreadsheet application
![Your data with the encoded polylines in a single column](readme/img/6.png) 5. Use your data wherever you need it!