[OSM-newbies] States with different colour

[Richard Welty]

On 4/21/11 1:44 PM, H.S.Rai wrote:
> Can we have map like:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_USA_with_state_names.svg
>
> in OSM?
>
> I believe it can be done with relations, but I could not find /
> understand its use. Please let me know good source of information with
> examples.
>
> Since all states are at same level, so how one can give different
> colour to different states?
>
properly, that's a rendering issue, and will vary depending on which
tool you use to render the data. individuals familiar with how Mapnik
or Osmarender would need to answer for their respective rendering
solutions.

relations already exist for state boundaries, and you would indeed use
them to direct background coloration in such a rendering solution.
what you would not do is put state "colors" in the OSM database, as
those are really metadata elements that are purely a matter of
personal taste. you might create a table for a rendering engine
listing what state abbreviation maps to what color, keeping that
table to yourself.

richard