# Merge shapefiles

**URL:** <https://mapwindow.discourse.group/t/merge-shapefiles/968>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [April 14, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/t/merge-shapefiles/968 "2021-04-14T01:15:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@lang](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/u/lang)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/t/merge-shapefiles/968/1 "2021-04-14T01:15:04Z")

</div>

Hello,

For shapefiles merge, both should be the same ShapeFileType. My questions is: should both shapefile have to have the same number of fields and with identical field names?  
THanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jerryfaust](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mapwindow.discourse.group/jerryfaust/32/378_2.png) [@jerryfaust](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/u/jerryfaust)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 4:10am UTC](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/t/merge-shapefiles/968/2 "2021-04-27T04:10:07Z")

</div>

Hello @lang

They do not have to be identical. From the [documentation](https://www.mapwindow.org/documentation/mapwingis4.9/group __shapefile__ geoprocessing.html#gaff15872b4d5d673c3e02a5b2ff74e2bc)

`Attribute values of both input shapefile will be passed to the resulting one.`

Distinct fields from each Shapefile will be in the resulting Shapefile.

Hope that helps.  
Jerry.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pmeems](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mapwindow.discourse.group/pmeems/32/9_2.png) [@pmeems](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/u/pmeems)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 11:09am UTC](https://mapwindow.discourse.group/t/merge-shapefiles/968/3 "2022-01-05T11:09:17Z")

</div>