Overpass API developpement

["Arian Allenson M. Valdez" <>]

Hello Everyone! I’m Arian, a Computer Science student. I’m one of the students accepted in the Google Summer of Code program, and my project is the creation of a Learning platform for Overpass API!

If you are unfamiliar with the project, you can view the wiki page here:

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Google_Summer_of_Code/2015/Learning_platform_for_Overpass

and the repo here:

https://github.com/osmlab/learnoverpass

Anyway, it’s been a very busy month! We’ve finalized the exercise engine for LearnOverpass (http://osmlab.github.com/learnoverpass/en/exercises/intro/1/#), making use of my mentor Martin Raifer’s excellent Overpass Turbo and a custom built API to make the experience as seamless as possible. The only thing missing now are the actual exercises, which is what we’re hard at work at!

This is the high level category writeup that I submitted to Martin today.

After thinking of the most comprehensive and most accessible way to learn Overpass through a tutorial, I’ve come to believe that the following categories is how we can ‘anchor’ the project:

Node

Basically, showing them that Nodes are POIs. As you’ve mentioned before lon/lat is probably the most intuitive hello world for the API.

Filters (By Tag)

The data set from Overpass queries really gave me a good idea as to the most common use cases of Overpass API, and proved the point on emphasising query filters. Focusing more on introducing different filters and the different uses possible when combining them will be a priority.

Selection Filters

We then get other filters by extension, such as Around and Polygon. Which extends to

Areas

Area Filters. This is a good way to segueway to named sets (also viewing from the queries, a lot use named sets in areas)

Basically, everything by far will be just (purely) about Nodes. Finding Nodes, etc. etc. We then go to

Ways

Probably the way we’ll expect people use ways, highways, cycleways, routes.

Recursion/Relation

is definitely the most complicated, and probably my favorite topic to show everything :D for each hits logic, and we have things like is_in, >>; <<; areas, administrative zones. etc.

We’re also bundling up the exercises through a subdued quirky side plot of helping “Bob get home”, using your Overpass QL skills to query for Bob’s routes and destination.

All in all, we’re in the home stretch :) If you have any comments, feel free to do so!

Thanks!

Arian Allenson M. Valdez