How to Edit a Shapefile Attribute / DBF in Quantum GIS

Editing your Shapefile attribute data (DBF) in Quantum GIS

Ultimately, your shapedata and region data should be driven from your business definitions. As such, you will want to modify your DBF file from within Quantum GIS.

You never want to modify your business data to fit the visualization.

a. Open Quantum GIS

b. Import a Shapefile

Click here for free shapefiles? 

Select Layer>Add Vector Layer or click on the add layer icon  (V1)   (V2)
You will browse to a file location on your computer and select a .SHP file. You are required to also have the .DBF and .SHX files together to successfully import your shape file.

c. Open the attributes table using the menu option Layer>Open Attributes Table

d. Enable Editing or press CTRL + E

NOTE: Prior to editing a shapefile, we highly recommend saving a copy. Learn how to save a new shapefile

e. Locate the attributes that don’t match in the attributes table, double-click, and edit

f. Upon completion of making edits, click on the Enable Editing button a second time to commit your changes.