[OSM-talk] Xml design

[scott]

Some thoughts:

With the current XML design of k="" v="" it would seem very difficult to 
create a useful XSD for the data.  A tight XSD would help to avoid 
duplication,spelling mistakes, reduce the xml size, and would allow for 
the gui to present useful drop downs.  For example we currently have

  <way id="4073353" timestamp="2006-12-13T01:57:16+00:00">
    <seg id="65667" />
    <seg id="65652" />
    <tag k="created_by" v="JOSM" />
    <tag k="highway" v="unclassified" />
    <tag k="oneway" v="true" />
  </way>

What I am proposing is to have

  <way id="4073353" timestamp="2006-12-13T01:57:16+00:00" 
created_by="JOSM" highway="unclassified oneway="true">
    <seg id="65667" />
    <seg id="65652" />
  </way>

We could then have an XSD which lists the valid values for the highway 
attribute, and applications like JOSM could present those in a drop 
down.  Presently, for example, in the database we have the following 
attributes:

abbutter
abbutters
abutment
abutters
abuttors

we also have at least 10 versions (these are just the ones that begin 
with h) of highway:

hgihway
hifgway
highawy
highjway
highwau
highway
highway:
highwy
higway
hoghway





The argument might be put forward that the current design allows more 
flexibility.  But I dont buy that.  There is nothing to stop you 
extending the XSD when needed.  That is what the X stands for, 
extensibility.

I dont care if they are stored in the SQL database as name value pairs, 
thats a different issue, and the current implementation is fine as far 
as I'm concerned.

Any thoughts?

--
Scott