[mkgmap-dev] Options

Sat Dec 8 17:20:39 GMT 2012

> Hi
>
> I've written up my thoughts on each option on the wiki at:
>
>     http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap/dev/option-review
>
> I think there are a few obsolete/unworking options that can be removed
> straight away.
>
> I will come up with a mechanism for documenting and applying default
> to options and then a way to warn on option removal or changes so
> they can be phased in over a period.
>
> ..Steve

Here are my thoughts:

--gmapsupp
I like to rename it to gps or gps-output. The problem for 
--output=gps,desktop is that you cannot use the --no-output?
Additionally it would be nice to be able to set the name of the 
gmapsupp.img file because current GPS allow to use more than one map.

--country-name=name
--country-abbr=abbreviation
--region-name=name
--region-abbr=abbreviation
I wonder if these options are really needed.
country-* makes sense only if you compile a map containing a single 
country only.
region-* makes sense only if you compile a map from a single region only.

--index
I am not sure if it should be set as default but it should be renamed to 
something like address-search.

--location-autofill=[option1,[option2]]
I think this option is quite error prone but there have been quite a 
reasonable number of map creators that still want to use it. Maybe it 
could be renamed to something like address-autocomplete.

--family-id
--family-name
--product-id
--product-version
--series-name
--area-name
Of course keep them. But it would be helpful if at least the wiki gives 
some hints where the different values are used (screenshots of Basecamp, 
GPS etc.). When starting with mkgmap the exact meaning of the options is 
not obvious.

--keep-going
I agree - rename to --ignore-errors

--add-pois-to-lines
This is a kind of workaround to display attributes of a way with an 
icon, e.g. maxheight values, incline etc.
When implementing it I doubted that it would be useful but a reasonable 
number of map devs was happy with it.

--add-pois-to-areas
Could be default

--pois-to-areas-placement[=taglist]
Don't know how to move that to the style file. We would need a special 
section or special style file but then I don't see the advantages versa 
using an option.

--precomp-sea=directoryname
--coastlinefile=filename[,filename]
--generate-sea[=ValueList]
I don't see how a coastlinefile should be autodetected. And it is used 
by all threads so the detection must be performed before the first real 
osm file is read. Removing this option is bad for all who needs the 
latest changes to coastlines. precomp-sea depends on actual data at 
openstreetmapdata.org and at the moment the data on this site is six 
weeks old. Generating sea from the OSM input data is error prone but easy.
I don't like the very long list of possible generate-sea options. I 
think we should use either one option for all (which means move 
coastlinefile and precomp-sea to a generate-sea option) or use a 
separate mkgmap option for each generate-sea option.

In the end I don't mind removing any of the generate-sea functionality 
if that makes it easier.

--process-destination
Make it default. Can be turned off by --no-process-destination.
Should it also be turned off if --no-route is set?

WanMil