[OSM-talk] Bridge reference tagging and relations

Gervase Markham gerv-gmane at gerv.net
Sun Aug 10 22:50:10 BST 2008


David Earl wrote:
> If you want to apply a bridge number to the bridge, there's no reason 
> you shouldn't, vote or no vote. And if something were to render it, not 
> doubt it would look right.
> 
> However, the thing you are putting the number on has no easy linkage to 
> the canal. If you were boating along the canal and wanted your satnav to 
> pop up the next bridge number, it would have a hard time doing that 
> because there's nothing actually linked to the canal to tell it.

Ways intersecting the canal way, with a foo_ref attribute?

> Of course it could do some tests to find out what bridges pass over the 
> canal by analysing more data in the area, but these are complicated 
> tests. By relating the bridge to the canal you are attaching the bridge 
> number with the thing it is relevant to - the canal - rather than the 
> thing the bridge is attached to - the road crossing it.

Well OK, I see that point. But reading that page, at least, it really
looks like setting up such a relation is a complicated business. Is it
in fact complicated, or is the page just explaining it badly? If it is
complicated, does it really need to be?

Gerv





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