Jan PenfratI'm not a software developer, so this is a real question:
Can it really be so hard for maps apps like @CoMaps, @organicmaps, and #OSMand and #MapsMe etc to agree on a common link format when sharing locations?
#cryptohagen@cryptohagen No it wouldn't be nice. That's what open interoperable standards are for.
James Derrick@ilumium @CoMaps @organicmaps What are you sharing though? Location? Address? Gazeteer? #OpenStreetMap feature?
For a location, the [URI geo:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_URI_scheme) works, but is hard to type in without error.
For shorter links, [Plus Code](https://maps.google.com/pluscodes/) uses variable length, so locally you type less.
[MapCode](https://www.mapcode.com/about) also has short codes.
I'd personally never use this proprietary option: https://w3w.me.ss/
Each works for a different case - and apps.
@jamesderrick Any kind of location I share from CoMaps or OrganicMaps for example does include a geo: link but it's never clickable for me. Instead it's misunderstood by (Android) apps as a phone number. The Organic or CoMap-specifc URLs on the other hand don't open with the other respective app.
(I put aside the annoying text that's shared with each location. 🫣)
Nemo_bis 🌈@ilumium Do you mean, beyond the geo URIs they already support (AFAICT)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_URI_scheme
What's your use case? For me one is sharing a POI for directions (e.g. sending friends a restaurant where to meet). I can't know whether the recipient's map will contain the same POI at the coordinates. For that I use osmand URLs or OSM node URLs, which is less than ideal but has somewhat worked so far.
Else, Someone
Joris (dwz)@ilumium
You might also find this useful: translates many map URLs into geo: URIs. https://github.com/jakubvalenta/geoshare
You might also find this useful: translates many map URLs into geo: URIs. https://github.com/jakubvalenta/geoshare
Alper@ilumium @CoMaps @organicmaps How about those little numbers we used for ages for location? I never understood whats so wrong with them so we made a whole uri scheme from scratch.
janjko@ilumium @CoMaps @organicmaps the problem is, if Osmand or Comaps gave you a open standard geo: link when sharing a location, the vast majority of people that got that link wouldn't be able to do anything with it. GMaps and Apple maps chose to not support it.
Hans-Christoph Steiner@janjko @ilumium @CoMaps @organicmaps exactly! The geo: URI should be that standard, and it is already a documented standard. Android partially implements it, just enough to say it is there. But a functioning geo: standard would break Google Maps' lock-in, so of course they don't fully support it. For example, some URL schemes like https:// mailto: tel: are made clickable by AndroidOS itself for all apps. Somehow, geo: got left out...
@eighthave @janjko Yeah I see the challenge. So generally it makes sense to include both the geo: link and an alternative I guess. But on my end I cannot open that in @CoMaps of someone sends me their location from @organicmaps e.g. via Signal. Maybe it's indeed an Android limitation, not a maps app problem? 🤔
⁉️@ilumium @eighthave @janjko @CoMaps @organicmaps
I've recently shared a location from CoMaps on iPhone to a friend with an iPhone and I heard no complaints. She does not, I am fairly certain, have CoMaps nor Organic Maps installed - Apple Maps certainly.
@chiefbongo Hm, that is good to know. It may of course be that your friend simply copy pasted the coordinated (the geo: link) and pasted them into the Apple Maps search field. That is what I have to do every time I receive an OrganicMaps link via text message.
@chiefbongo @eighthave @janjko
Thank you all for your replies. I did some more digging and perhaps the geo: link issue is indeed not a maps app problem but an Android issue. No matter where I receive such links (SMS, email, Signal), they are never clickable. Either they are interpreted as plain text, or as two phone numbers separated by a comma.
Unfortunately, Android's app default screen for CoMaps does not offer to add geo: links. 😔
@ilumium @chiefbongo @janjko @CoMaps @organicmaps I've been looking for someone to take this on for years, its been on my TODO list too. The code changes are small and easy. The vast majority of the work required to get it done will be user research, project management, lobbying to get it merged (e.g. AOSP), activism to raise awareness, and testing to make sure the integration works nicely everywhere. I've wanted to get this done for years. Happy help someone take this on, please reach out.
Infinity