[OSM-talk] Disappearing footpaths

[David Stevenson]

Dave wrote:
> On 03/04/07, Lester Caine <lester at lsces.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> > The only way I can see to do that is to have a layer of abstraction
>> > between the data users see and what the database calls the tags
>> > internally. Once we have done that, the internal name may as well stay
>> > with the English name. Anything else would be lots of work for no gain
>> > whatsoever.
>>
>> This is one of the major reasons that XML is simply not a sensible
>> storage
>> medium ;)
>> Scrap the use of full text for all these items and create a simple lookup
>> table of values, with sets for each language. The tools then store the
>> number
>> and present the user with the currently approved list of values for their
>> language.
>> Solves a number of problems with one simple step?
> 
> 
> 
> But then we loose the freeform option.
> 
> If it makes you feel better, it's always possible the mysql storage engine
> is doing this anyway :-)
> 
Free form is fine, and needed for names and similar keys.
Enumerated types allow good error checking, translation and easy pull
down menu options, for major keys like "highway"

Mixing the two types in one key is not good.
David