tagtransform for OSM - A effort make tagging and using OSM data easier

Hey all,

I currently write a specification for tranforming tags in OpenStreetMap to make life of data customers easier. Different tagging schemes have emerged since the existence of OpenStreetMap, same are existing in parallel and a newer one deprecated an old one. Data customers without knowing the OSM community much get lost. This project aims to help developers who want to take advantage of the OpenStreetMap great database which is by the way a brilliant project. This project can also help to make tagging in OSM more orthogonal and more hassle free.

I saw conflicting interests between OSM community, OSM developers like the iD developers and data customers. A renderer might need data in another way as the community contributes. The community might need another tagging scheme than a renderer. I thought how we can resolve this, how we can get all sites on “one table” and that is the idea I had come up with:

A more readable version can be found here: https://github.com/ValorNaram/transformation-table-osmtags/blob/master/README.md and the principles can be found at https://github.com/ValorNaram/transformation-table-osmtags/blob/master/principles.md

Example 1: They want to have the phone number of a POI. There are some problems with this:

1. They need to know both contact:phone and phone to get them all.
2. They need to support them both.
3. They need to remove one in case both keys are mapped on one POI. This really happens, see [http://overpass-turbo.eu/s/OI2](http://overpass-turbo.eu/s/OI2).

Example 2: They want to know how many POI’s have changing tables (general: facilities for changing a nappy of a baby). There are some problems with this too:

1. They need to know both changing_table and the deprecated diaper to get them all.
2. They need to support them both. Difficult because they're highly different tagging schemes.
3. They need to remove one in case both keys are mapped on one POI. This really happens, see [http://overpass-turbo.eu/s/OI5](http://overpass-turbo.eu/s/OI5).

Example 3: They want to develop a mapping tool and want to correct wrong typed in tags. There are some problems with that:

1. They need to know all possible tagging schemes existing for one purpose (e.g. mapping facilities for changing the nappy of a baby).
2. They need to know the right/approved/more logical scheme.
3. They need to know how to convert:
 diaper=yes
     diaper:female=yes

becomes after the transformation:

changing_table=yes
changing_table:location=female_toilet

Basically it bridges the OSM community and developers together, it might even resolve the conflict between iD developers and the community.

I want to hear your opinions on this and also feel not to shame to ask questions. My answers will be part of the clarification of the project “tagtransform for OSM”.

Cheers

Sören Reinecke alias ValorNaram