mendhak
Option to use OpenLocationCode/plus.code for coordinate display
Hello!
My proposal is to add open location code as an option to the three current coordinate formats (i.e. display decimals vs. display mins/secs) as an alternative. Especially when communicating location over the phone, this is very helpful.
https://github.com/google/open-location-code
Would this be of interest?
It does look like an interesting project. I spent some time looking at it I had many thoughts. I'll type them out.
I like its attempt at memorability, though the shortcodes (in a city) are easier to remember than a lat long. And the default long codes are not. I see its usefulness in many situations described where addressing is almost non existent.
I note its claim to be easier to use, however being 'easier to use' is about the context in which it's being applied. It seems to address addressing.
I am wary of its 'Google' association. Despite being on Android, I can easily imagine Google dropping support for this feature in the next Maps revamp, leaving it as 'open-source-but-ignored novelty from last year'. So then its popularity and widespread usage will matter.
I found this OSM thread followed by this wiki thread a very good discussion with lots of good points. The most important for me is its reaching effect into other parts of the application. You're in that thread I noticed so this is an area of interest to you.
Following implementation I can see two potential future headaches/directions this could take. First is the natural expectation for shorter codes to be displayed based on user's local area - this looks non trivial due to the proximal context information required and I don't know how to resolve this. In terms of plus code usage, is that the expectation? The guidance given feels harder than it should be. It requires geocoding, a web request, which is not suitable for this offline app. Also feels odd/senseless to me, since if someone needs a shortcode an internet connection is required which does not match well with "A location can be converted into a code, and a code can be converted back to a location completely offline."
Second is expecting plus codes to find its way into different loggers like CSV, Custom URL, parameters, sharing location. That does look possible, since the code has a straightforward way of invoking it.
Implementing it, I suppose, is a catch 22 situation. Not a lot of things support it since it's not popular but to be popular it needs things supporting it. I'd consider a basic implementation - display only - if there's enough interest.
