[iRail] My 2 cents ideas to improve the API

Fri Aug 6 10:56:09 UTC 2010

On Fri, 2010-08-06 at 12:40 +0200, Yeri Tiete wrote:
> Good morning,
> 
> 
> o About Google Analytics. I run it too for iRail. Can add your gmail
> account if you like. Feel free to add me, tuinslak at gmail.com.
> 
> 
> o I'll get the Android SDK and check our your app next week as well. 
> 
> 
> o About the GPS locs, useless, but fun. Here's an Excel sheet with the
> GPS locs of all Belgian train stations, if
> interested; http://github.com/Tuinslak/iRail/blob/master/docs/stations/PTCAR-GPS.xls
> 

Can I please never hear the word useless again? ;-)
Opendata law: you can never imagine what people are going to do with you
service/data.

I actually have a pretty good use for it: when someone writes a GPS
route planner, he will be able to get the GPS coordinates of the closest
station, route to it with Dijkstra algorithm, and then say you should
take a train instead of going by car.

Second remark: it would be hypocritical to strive for open data if we do
not respect open standard. Would it be possible to convert the xls to a
open standard? (plain text, open office, csv, pdf, ...)

> o Guess we'll have to come up with priority lists and focus on certain
> parts first. All of these features should be implementable, especially
> through an API. I'd say not all these features are useful for the
> web/mobile version of iRail (like GPS position of trains etc), but if
> we're 'bundling' everything and provide an API for it through iRail
> (in case someone wants to do something cool with it), then sure, let's
> do it. And document all our APIs correctly (unlike the SNCB).

What do you suggest? Should we set up a trac website? AFAIK it's the
best tool for managing priorities like these.

http://trac.edgewall.org/

Pieter