GPX

GPX is a format for exchanging GPS data.

The three main data types are waypoints, routes, and tracks.

Waypoint: a waypoint, a point of interest, or a named point on a map. Has all the fields need to represent a point collected with GPS including PDOP, type of fix (2d, 3d, dgps) sats in view, etc.

Route: an ordered list of waypoints representing turns

Track: an ordered list of points representing a path. The track segments are represented by waypoints.

What this means is that GPS can accomodate everything needed for professional work. There is no reason to throw out data like fix when creating a GPX file.

External links

Some official documentation: http://topografix.com/GPX/1/1/