Welcome to my second OpenStreetMap NextGen development diary. I am ready to highlight this week’s progress — and there was a lot 👷!

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Finished Settings Page

Last week I showcased initial progress on the new settings page for OpenStreetMap. This week, I’ve finished it. Here’s what’s new. Keep in mind that if you believe some features should be done differently, there will be a period of public testing where I’ll collect this kind of feedback 😉.

New settings page screenshot

Click here to view it in full screen.

Aside from the improved layout, I’ve introduced two notable changes. First, the application language selection has been redesigned; it’s now a simple dropdown selector. I believe the current system (where you input locale names by hand) is difficult for less technical people to understand, and I want to make the website more accessible to everyone!

New privacy controls screenshot

Secondly, OpenStreetMap finally gains account privacy controls. Want to opt out of activity tracking but still send crash reports? No problem! Today’s opt-out implementation relies solely on the Do-Not-Track browser setting. Even when opted out, you’ll still connect to analytics servers (for some reason). The NextGen codebase supports Do-Not-Track headers, the new Global Privacy Control, and does not connect to analytics servers when opted out. Account configuration takes precedence over browser configuration.

Seamless 180th Meridian Handling

This week I’ve invested time in smoothing out handling of the 180th meridian in both the frontend and backend. When browsing the map around the 180th meridian, there are no more visual glitches when crossing it. Additionally, the map and notes layers will no longer throw exceptions around it. The new position handling script is also significantly smaller compared to the existing Ruby codebase. The backend API now seamlessly handles 180th meridian requests.

The current API integration when requesting an area from 160° to 200°:

Send 1st request from 160° to 180°
Send 2nd request from -180° to -160°
Merge results

The new integration:

Send 1 request from 160° to 200° (or from -200° to -160°)

Splitting, wrapping, and merging are done under the hood by the API, significantly reducing code complexity in many consumer applications. Less complexity means fewer bugs and easier integration with OpenStreetMap.

System Apps and Test Users

As I actively work towards creating the best developer experience, this week I focused on two new features: system apps and test users.

System apps are OAuth2 applications managed by the application itself, not by users. Currently, there are two system apps: iD and Rapid — the supported web editors.

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INFO:     | 2024-03-23 23:43:45 | Registering system app 'iD'
INFO:     | 2024-03-23 23:43:45 | Registering system app 'Rapid'

In the current Ruby codebase, you need to follow all these steps just to get your own iD instance running. OpenStreetMap-NextGen does this automatically on application launch for you — you’re welcome 🙂.

Debug login panel screenshot

Test users are just that: users for testing. I like when applications provide developers with multiple users ready to be used, rather than requiring them to go through the registration process. Contributors can now log in to any of these users with a single button press!

Progress on Notes and Changesets API 0.6

Changeset read API response screenshot

I’m actively working on the migration of existing API features. This week, I successfully tested CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on notes and changesets. There were a few issues that needed correction, but nothing notable.

And More…

All of my work is publicly accessible on this GitHub repository. While my development diaries focus on selected highlights, there are many more details to read through. You can browse the commits history.

Project Sponsors 🦀

I want to take a moment to personally thank this week’s project patrons. It was super motivating to see new supporters! I really appreciate all of you! 🫰

Currently, my work is sponsored by 5 patrons on Liberapay, including three private donors. I have one public donor on GitHub Sponsors and have also received a private donation via PayPal.

~1847430, gileri, 快乐的老鼠宝宝/LaoshuBaby

If you’d like to join my development sponsors, you can find me on Liberapay or GitHub Sponsors. Currently, all contributions go directly towards the development of OpenStreetMap NextGen 🚀.

Disclaimer

Please note that this project is not affiliated with the OpenStreetMap Foundation. It’s the result of my voluntary work and personal choices.