[OSM-dev] API 0.7+: Split node concept?

[Chris Browet]

I am wondering (I wonder a lot lately ;-)) if some have already given a
thought to the fact that nodes actually represent 2 different concepts in
the current api:
- a node in the geometrical sense, i.e. used to define a linestring/way
- a POI

Wouldn't keep the "node" element only for POI (i.e. with tags) a better
idea? E.g something like this:

>   <node version="0" lon="3.5348711" lat="54.1945783"
> timestamp="2010-10-12T12:35:18Z" user="" id="-9" >
>     <tag k="highway" v="traffic_light"/>
>   </node>
>   <way version="0" timestamp="2010-10-12T12:35:02Z" user="" id="-2">
>     <point lon="3.5317073" lat="54.1929773"/>
>     <nd ref="-9"/>
>     <point lon="3.5377391" lat="54.1960297"/>
>   </way>
>

Seems to me that it would:
- be less confusing, both for consumers and editors
- save db space
- save memory/CPU cycle on the consumer side

What do you think?

- Chris -
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/dev/attachments/20101012/b5449351/attachment.html>