[Talk-us] US Interstate exit junction exit_to tag

[Mike N]

On 4/8/2011 6:34 PM, Alan Mintz wrote:
>> The point of the most recent change was standardization - consumers
>> should not need to code 2 routines to handle both forms.
>
> One "if" does not two routines make.

   Recent software uses test cases to ensure that quality levels are 
maintained through the life of the software.  Although consumption can 
be placed in an if, there are 2 cases to extract from the specification 
and 2 cases to test for.    The benefit is negligible.

>>   Our tagging guides should be as simple as possible.
>
> Agreed. <sarcasm>Like turn restriction relations. And destination sign
> relations. And traffic camera relations.</sarcasm>

   I'll agree that those are overly complicated, but that doesn't mean 
that all future tagging schemes need to be of maximal complexity.

>>    There is already a good 1 page on motorway_junction.   If a
>> non-programmer were to try to enter their information and saw a full
>> second page just to cover parsing rules, they would simply abandon
>> their efforts as too complicated.
>
> If that were the case, I'd agree that a better solution should be found.
> Is it a full page? Not even close. Perhaps you were referring to my
> departure from the thread regarding semicolons, which is not at all
> specific to this group of tags?

   All common cases would need examples, otherwise you have inconsistent 
tagging,  not conforming to any rules,  which is a fate worse than no 
information - bits taking up space but having no meaning or wrong meaning.