public_transport plugin : remove or update to PTv2 scheme

[leni]

What steps will reproduce the problem?

1. I am looking for public_transport, I filter by text in the list of plugins.

What is the expected result?

Find a plugin according to the PTv2 scheme.

What happens instead?

The plugin use the Oxomoa scheme .

Please provide any additional information below. Attach a screenshot if possible.

This ​public_transport plugin seems to use the ​Oxomoa scheme which indicates that this is an abandoned proposal. Its use could create errors.

URL:https://josm.openstreetmap.de/svn/trunk
Repository:UUID: 0c6e7542-c601-0410-84e7-c038aed88b3b
Last:Changed Date: 2021-09-03 03:12:33 +0200 (Fri, 03 Sep 2021)
Build-Date:2021-09-03 01:31:19
Revision:18193
Relative:URL: ^/trunk

Identification: JOSM/1.5 (18193 en_GB) Windows 10 64-Bit
OS Build number: Windows 10 Home 2009 (19042)
Memory Usage: 236 MB / 989 MB (86 MB allocated, but free)
Java version: 1.8.0_271-b09, Oracle Corporation, Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM
Look and Feel: javax.swing.plaf.metal.MetalLookAndFeel
Screen: \Display0 1920×1080 (scaling 1.00×1.00)
Maximum Screen Size: 1920×1080
Best cursor sizes: 16×16→32×32, 32×32→32×32
System property file.encoding: Cp1252
System property sun.jnu.encoding: Cp1252
Locale info: en_GB
Numbers with default locale: 1234567890 -> 1234567890

Plugins:
+ EasyPresets (1623509627)
+ Mapillary (2.0.0-alpha.34-dirty)
+ PicLayer (1.0.1)
+ apache-commons (35524)
+ apache-http (35589)
+ contourmerge (v0.1.8)
+ ejml (35458)
+ flatlaf (35799)
+ geotools (35458)
+ imagery_offset_db (35640)
+ indoorhelper (1.2.0)
+ jaxb (35543)
+ jna (35662)
+ jts (35458)
+ measurement (35640)
+ opendata (35803)
+ photo_geotagging (35783)
+ photoadjust (35770)
+ public_transport (35640)
+ scripting (30798)
+ shrinkwrap (v1.0.4)
+ tageditor (35640)
+ turnrestrictions (35640)
+ undelete (35640)
+ utilsplugin2 (35792)
+ wikipedia (1.1.4)

Tagging presets:
+ https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Presets/ParkingLanes&zip=1
+ https://github.com/Jungle-Bus/josm-presets/raw/gh-pages/jungle-stops/preset.zip
+ <josm.pref>/EasyPresets.xml

Map paint styles:
- https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/Lane_features&zip=1
- https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/Lane_features_ryg&zip=1
- https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/Maxspeed&zip=1
+ https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/PTStops&zip=1
+ https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/PublicTransport&zip=1
- https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/ParkingLanes&zip=1
+ https://josm.openstreetmap.de/josmfile?page=Styles/Coloured_buildings&zip=1
- <josm.pref>\styles\sit.mapcss
+ <josm.pref>\styles\sit.mapcss

Validator rules:
+ https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nlehuby/transport_mapcss/master/transport.validator.mapcss

Last errors/warnings:
- 00004.208 W: Failed to delete outdated plugin '<josm.pref>\plugins\flatlaf.jar'.
- 00004.209 W: Failed to install already downloaded plugin 'flatlaf'. Skipping installation. JOSM is still going to load the old plugin version.
- 00007.389 E: java.nio.file.NoSuchFileException: <josm.pref>\EasyPresets.xml
- 00007.389 E: <josm.pref>/EasyPresets.xml
- 00008.850 W: Warning: Failed to scan file 'fr.toulouse.jar' for module information. Skipping.

[skyper]

How about updating and fixing instead of deprecating? I see some use-cases which are not covered by any other plugin.

Do you have examples where it creates errors?

[leni]

I'm okay with reporting errors in a program that respects a functional scheme.
But, the first sentence of the wiki for this plugin says The JOSM Plugin Public Transport is designed to simplify the mapping and editing of public transport routes according to best practice standards (see Oxomoa scheme). and if I go to the Oxoma wiki page it says Status: Abandoned (inactive) As it stands I don't see how using an abandoned scheme wouldn't create data inconsistencies.

I'm not a technical IT specialist, just a contributor, and I don't know if the uses cases you mention can be easily adapted to another schema.

[skyper]

Most parts of the Oxomoa scheme are still valid and inline with ​PTv2. I have not tested this plugin, so far, that is why I asked for real problems and not just a naming or documentation issue.

[Woazboat]

I've briefly tested the plugin today and it has some issues regarding usability as well as data safety/unintended modifications and simply does not (/no longer) offer any benefits over the standard builtin tools.

The main feature of the plugin, viewing and editing tags + member ways of public transport routes is made completely obsolete by the standard relation editor, which simply has more features and is much more user friendly than the one provided by the plugin (e.g. downloading missing members, graphical connectivity hints, reordering of members, support for parent/route master relations, etc... all of which are lacking in the plugin interface). The interface for adding tags to route relations is very barebones and limited in comparison with the normal relation editor tag editing panel + presets.

A big issue with the plugin as a whole is that it is _extremely_ easy to unintentionally modify data, sometimes even without noticing. All changes are applied to the data set immediately without confirmation and it is impossible to undo these changes (or even just viewing what was changed) as the plugin does not use the undo/redo command stack. This is made worse by the UI, which does not always make it clear to users which actions lead to modification of the data. For example, simply clicking on the role field for member ways/stop positions to open the dropdown menu for value selection _immediately_ erases the previous value without confirmation or ability to restore it. The offered values are also not very helpful and are actually only applicable for PTv1 and not the Oxomoa scheme which the plugin supposedly implements (which is not mentioned anywhere).

In my opinion, the only benefits of this plugin are:

1) Overview list of all public transport routes in the area
2) When creating completely new routes:

• Ability to add stops based on a gpx file or gtfs data
• Suggest existing stops for a route based on distance + left/right side of the way

I would very much advise against touching any existing routes using this plugin.

[skyper]

Thanks for the review.
So in this case, the problems are far more severe than the advantages. There are several tools to import gtfs and other ways to get an overview.
As it seems to be unmaintained, let's deprecate it and wait for the complains of users actually using the plugin.
Documentation should be adjusted but I guess there is no need to delete it, completely.