Hello,
I was wondering if it is possible to add a new tag to particular OSM closed way, but without using iD or JOSM editors, but instead to do it somehow through url query?
If currently not available, would something like this be possible to be done through openstreetmap or overpass API in future?
I would welcome any kind of reply.
All known editors (iD, JOSM, Potlatch, Level0 etc.) use a REST api (currently v. 0.6, see documentation to manipulate objects in the database on the central server.
I wonder why you need this API. Be aware that there is a
([url]https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Automated_Edits_code_of_conduct[/url]) for al mechanical edits, i.e. edits in which the human did not check each individual object that will be created or modified.
Thank you for the detailed reply escada!
So it definitively is possible to tag a certain closed way through url query?
I took a look at the API_v0.6 link you provided, and this looks way more complex for my level of knowledge.
The reason why I asked this is if maybe I can use it to automate some tagging processes: for example: I have an ESRI shapefile file of a certain part of the city, downloaded from a website of a local municipality. The ESRI shapefile file contains data about each building’s construction date. If I could somehow compare the latitude/longitude coordinates of the CAD file buildings and the ones from openstreemap, this would help me to identify which openstreetmap closed ways (representing buildings) can be automatically tagged with start_date=1910 according to data from the ESRI shapefile.
This is just an example, it can be any other tag.
What you describe is an import. You take data from an another source and want to copy that into OSM.
When you want to do that, you have to follow a certain procedure (see my link above). The first step is to check whether the data is available under a license that is compatible with OSM. BTW, this license requirement also holds if you copy the values one-by-one yourself.
Can you post the URL of your ESRI file ? Or tell us which license it has ? Without the correct license, I fear we have to revert all your changes that include data from that source.
@bernard1995 before anyone does an import, it’s important that they’re familiar with contributing to OSM in the “normal” way. Currently http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/bernard1995 has made no edits, so please (as I suggested before) trying making normal edits to OSM using one of the regular editors before even thinking about imports.
If you don’t, people will think you’re not serious about OSM at all and just want a cozy chat on the forum 
I haven’t been adding anything, neither by using API (I do not know how to do that) nor manually.
Automatic tagging of “start_date” with url query was just a suggestion, I haven’t been doing this.
The ESRI shapefile come with GPL license.
I am trying to fix the issue I have with my Java installation so that I could use JOSM editor again. I simply do not like the iD, one, JOSM was much more comfortable to me.
If I succeed in doing it, I will definitively try mapping some nodes and closed ways. The whole point of asking a lot of my previous question was to get comfortable a bit with some basic mapping concepts, not explained in the wiki.openstreetmap.org before I start mapping anything.
I apologize if my questions on forum look like a chat, but to be honest: if I wasn’t interested in OSM, I wouldn’t have wasted my precious free time, and I would have spend it in a more useful way.
I think that is not compatible with OSM.
I would examine any licence statement from ESRI very carefully.
There’s a github issue https://github.com/Esri/arcgis-osm-editor/issues/104 trying to determine the legality of using ESRI-provided layers in ArcGIS online (not exactly the same question as here, but related). Unfortunately the legal status of those has not been resolved in that discussion.
Thank you for the useful replies both escada and SomeoneElse!!
wiki.openstreetmap.org Legal FAQ page states that the very OSM’s server code is licensed under GPL. JOSM seems too.
From what I understood, that article deals with issue of Satellite imagery used to map OSM features inside ESRI’s ArcGIS Editor application.
ESRI shapefile on the other hand is a data format, invented by ESRI. It became one of the popular standard GIS vector data formats.
Since its invention, other software packages and free and open source projects (like GDAL) have been creating and writing data in this format.
The wiki.openstreetmap.org page, describes it as:
So if that ESRI shapefile page is created in some free and/or open-source GIS application, and not with ESRI software, I don’t see why OSM would not be able to use such data format.
That’s just for the software. The OSM data itself is covered by point 1a right above that:
It’s my understanding that ODbl and GPL aren’t compatible.
The format, nor the software that created the data are important. The data itself has a license. This license should be mentioned on the website from where you download the file.
Look at OSM. The software to generate the data can be GPL, not-licensed or come under a closed license. All that does not matter, the data is ODbL.
As SomeoneElse suggested: just go outside, survey some simple data, e.g. benches, post boxes, etc. Start adding them with iD. iD is great for that. Or maybe a mobile app such as OsmAnd, maps.me. etc. All those contributions are valueable to the overall project. Forget imports for now. Personally, I would forbid imports by persons that have not add data manually for at least a couple of months 
Thank you for the replies alester and escada!!
Can we get a confirmation on this please? That OpenStreetMap does not allow adding content from sources/data licensed under GPL license?
Thank you!
I didn’t understand you the upper last quote. You also gave example with OSM but I still do not understand it.
Would it be too much if you could clarify it again please? Thank you.
We will if you do some mapping first
I have rarely the same opinion like SomeoneElse but in this point he is absolutely right.