[Tagging] symbol=* documentation?

[Ferenc Veres]

Hi,

Can somebody please write a brief documentation to

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:symbol

I'm not sure I understand the tag's use. We are currently discussing the
use on the Hungarian mailing list, would be great to have some pointers,
"standard".

----IDEAS ONLY - please copy to wiki, adjust, or rewrite----

The symbol tag is used for describing hiking trails by a human readable
name. It is usually accompanied with {{Key|osmc:symbol}}, which contains
a machine readable description of the hiking trail. Example:

symbol = red bar
osmc:symbol = red:white:red_bar

Implementing software may choose to use a local database for connecting
osmc:symbol to an icon and to a name, or it can choose to loud read the
value of the symbol tag, if no local naming is available.

A routing software may say: "Follow red bear for two kilometers".

Similar to {{Key|name}}, you can use international naming options too,
for example:

symbol = piros sáv       (this is Hungarian)
symbol:en = red bar

----end of ideas---

However, usage of symbol= does not follow this translation method,
because some countries use English naming while others use local naming.
I'd recommend to follow "name:LANG" for consistency.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Slovakia/Hiking_routes#Hiking_Routes_Marker_Symbols

http://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/keys/symbol#values

This seems to have some related documentation in German:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/DE:OSMC_Reitkarte#Wie_mu.C3.9F_eine_markierte_Route_aussehen.3F

Thanks,
Ferenc

-- 
Ferenc Veres
http://www.openstreetmap.hu