[OSM-talk-be] some thoughts and remarks about border mapping

[Maarten Deen]

Ben Laenen wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 September 2008, Lennard wrote:
>> The Dutch border system as it is now is comprised of overlapping ways
>> using shared nodes.
> 
> ugly :-)

It's not. Certainly not with the merkaartor option of "split node" where you can 
copy a node and attach a different way to each node.

And I certainly would hope that nobody is going to change the dutch border soon. 
It is properly mapped and does not need changing.

> but I remember seeing a relation on the country border, so how's that 
> used?
> 
>> The municipal border is a closed way, the 
>> province border is another closed way, and it shares the nodes with
>> various municipal boundaries. And on a higher level, the national
>> border is another closed way that shares the nodes with the
>> respective provinces and municipalities along the border.
> 
> How do they do it in Baarle-Hertog/Nassau?

Exactly so.

> btw, the relation way may need one extra thing: a "left" or "right" role 
> for the members telling on which side the entity is. I think it's 
> needed for solving ambiguity, especially with ex- and enclaves.

I have a big problem with this "left" and "right" notion. You don't have left 
and right with lakes or islands or any other area. IMHO a administrative 
boundary also defines an area. An area is closed (be it by way of closed way or 
by relation) and therefore does not need indication what is inside and what is 
outside.