[OSM-dev] Area data type -- again!

[Tobias Knerr]

Ilya Zverev wrote:
>
> Malcolm Herring wrote:
>> My other wish is that disjunct outers be dis-allowed. Where multiple
>> complete areas need to be associated, then this is the proper use of 
>> relations.

+1

> Why? How would you draw an administrative district with an exclave?

A relation for the administrative area with two area elements to
represent the territory, plus possibly a member for the capital and
whatever other members mappers come up with.

As we have relations for representing the relationship between elements,
I believe that we should design the area data type as a polygon (with
holes), not as a multipolygon. After all, it would be odd to have a
relationship between multiple areas as the one special case that works
without relations, while every other combination of elements uses relations.

Tobias