[mkgmap-dev] Options

Sat Dec 8 14:20:21 GMT 2012

Hi

> As one of the "too many" complainers, my issue was not so much that
> there were a lot of options, but that the typical new person's strategy
> of ignoring them all did not lead to success.   What you're doing
> addresses that point, and also reduces unneeded options.

OK, although calling with no options does give you a perfectly fine
first map, albeit lacking many of the improvements that have been
added in the last 4-5 years.

I think we have to stop the idea that almost every new feature must
have its own option. But at least now we have --no-option we can
default to on, and allow a feature to be turned off - say if it is
still a bit unreliable.

>    like output==desktop since that really seems to mean for mapsource,
>    but of course the actual name doesn't matter.

Yes I would like a better name.  Those files are for any of the
desktop viewers not just mapsource. But actually, since it is default
on it doesn't really matter what it is called, its name would only be
needed to turn it off and no-one has ever wanted to do that.

> --levels:
>    I agree this belongs in the style file, perhaps as a new file levels
>    to go with points/etc.

It is in the style file (in options) and the command line option is an
override to that. I think where I am going with this is that there
could be one option --style-override that does all of the quick and
dirty style tweeks. That is if there is more than one of them, not
much point if it is only levels.

> --index:
>    I vote for default on, and people can --no-index if they need to.

OK, noted.

> --check-foo:
>    replace with --warnings/--nowarnings, defaulting to warnings.  Put in
>    some output warning file, with a prefix by warning type for grep.
>    Don't worry about enabling/disabling them individually.

I'd certainly have a way to direct warnings to a file. But I don't
think that there is anything wrong with having to enable them. It is
expected behaviour across a wide variety of software.

> style files should be able to reference a TYP which is associated with
> the style.  Perhaps the user can override, but it seems that styles/TYP
> really are linked.

Yes they are, and that would be a welcome new feature.

> Things I don't understand and thus am not commenting on:
>    location-autofill/etc.
>    precompiled sea

This needs more discussion and investigation, but even keeping all the
existing functionality it could be done with fewer options. For
example if mkgmap can recognise a coastline file you could just put
one on the command line and it would just deal with it without the
need for an option.

Or a single option could be used for the different kinds of coastline
if they can be distinguished and the correct action taken.

..Steve