[OSM-talk] Tagging OSM objects with UUIDs

[John Smith]

On 7 June 2010 19:45, Lester Caine <lester at lsces.co.uk> wrote:
> Internally generated id numbers are used to currently identify things. As long
> as those numbers do not change then they can be used to provide permanent links
> to anything in the database. The problem - I think - is that these internal
> numbers are attached to a POI of some sort which may benefit from being able to
> identify different facets of that point of interest? You either add separate
> poi's for the 'building' and the 'occupant' and the like so that you get
> different internal id's ... or we agree on a way of uniquely tagging information
> in a manor that does not rely on the internal sub structure?

If you need to group objects, create a relation and then tag the
relation with a unique ID...

> XML is too flexible to rely on identifying distinct objects when taken in
> isolation from their deeper context, so some overall unique identifier has a
> place? UUID is an well designed unique id that suits the bill so why not use it.

XML is supposed to make data interchange between different databases
easier, but once you start mixing datasets all bets are off, this has
nothing to do with XML and everything to do with mixing datasets.

As for your other point about UUIDs being useful, I think I agree with
you, but then I have no idea what you mean by your next question.

> Trying to 'create' a new type of unique ID would be pointless?