Changing from Google Maps JS API to OpenStreetMap API afterwards
This topic contains 7 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by directoryfan 7 years, 1 month ago.
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February 2, 2018 at 12:43 pm #415619
Hello Support Team and Community,
if I will choose for a project to go first with GoogleMaps but to a point with OpenStreetMap API, do I have something to consider?
Greetings, Marius
February 2, 2018 at 1:13 pm #415625Hello,
That would entail commenting on the OSM project, which is outside of our control.
Your other thread seems like a good place to ask specific follow up questions about this.
To the point, I think the main consideration is that the OSM data, no matter how many corporate contributions are made, is still not quite as uniform as Google’s.
Your other thread: https://wpgeodirectory.com/support/topic/understanding-openstreetmap-auto-fill-api-and-saving-cities-locationss/#post-415624
February 2, 2018 at 6:34 pm #415670I have never used OSM API but I can guess that you will mess up your locations when switching between the APIs as the results to a geo location request could be different.
February 3, 2018 at 11:36 am #415743Thank you Alex. I’ll put this question in the other thread too.
Hi Dirk, thank you for your time and hint. You mean this is not a good idea and is better to decide for the one API or for the other one at the start of the project.
February 3, 2018 at 11:50 am #415750Marius,
If you want to start with OSM, you may end up without any issues at all switching to Google later if needed. You may also end up with several more cities, and some of them may not be named as you expect, but merging them isn’t hard, and that is one of the reasons that feature exists. Switching to Google is never hard if you have complete street address data because you can always just go back and geocode your export CSV in bulk, too.
I have been working on OSM and OSM apps and projects using OSM for many years now. I would say it is definitely AWESOME to use OSM, especially if you are doing something in a small town or a limited area.
I would say that, for a global directory, your geocoding results are likely to be more of what is ‘expected’ with Google. That doesn’t mean you will get bad results with OSM. Members have written in about geocoding issues with both APIs/datasets. With OSM you can go and make changes directly; with Google, not so much.
But don’t let that talk about accuracy push OSM out of the running for right projects. It’s cheaper, more hands on, and fixable. The best thing about OSM is that you can literally go and edit the map. I have traced many thousands of kilometers of roadways across Africa, SE Asia, and more. I love drawing in the details of parks and beaches, and I definitely recommend joining up with the OSM list serves for the area/country etc for some interesting conversation. The non-profit geotourism programs I work with uses OSM heavily and even sent a participant to last year’s conference in the Philippines. FUN!
It is definitely a good idea to consider how many listings you will have, and what you intend to do with the data in the long run. If your idea is to contribute the point data back to OSM, then using OSM is a
- great
way to go, and I will give you a round of applause, too. OSM is a great way to setup a project for a community and to be able to hand it over without a thought about the API key or ongoing costs.
February 3, 2018 at 12:53 pm #415764Well, thank you, Alex, for your sharing. The context of the project is optimal for the use of OSM, just for a German state and just for a directory branch: Kundalini yoga. This is cool, at least for me :), that you have a lot of experience with OSM, thank you again to point to the flexibility of OSM for corrections.
February 3, 2018 at 1:07 pm #415765If the folk are taking on a small bite, then sometimes they can do the extra stuff like add the park next door or add the point data to OSM themselves. Business hours can be stored in OSM too.
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:opening_hours/Tutorial
February 3, 2018 at 1:56 pm #415769Thank you, Alex, nice example. I’ll have to make some experience and then a tutorial about this for the users or even for the website visitors, that they can add information to the OSM or correct data, why not.
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