Key:*:type
 Suffix *:type
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| Description |
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A key suffix to define the type of the main value. 
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| Group: properties |
| Used on these elements |
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| See also |
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| Status: in use |
| taginfo: *:type |
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The *:type=* suffix is occasionally used as an add-on tag to specify a "variant" of a feature category.
- <key> = <some_value>; <some_value>:type=*
For example, for categorization of man_made=tower objects use tower:type=*.
There are two competing schemes for describing "variants" of the feature category. The suffix-based scheme, as above, adds the *:type=* suffix to the key feature name, as in tower:type=*. The alternative, more common one, simply uses the feature key value as the category key itself: for example, industrial=* specifies variants of landuse=industrial.
Scheme formats
When devising new tagging approaches, consider using one of the formats:
Suffix-based format
- <key> = <some_value>; <some_value>:type=*
- Here are some uses of this schema with sample values in parentheses:
- amenity=post_box, sub-classified by post_box:type=* (pillar, lamp, wall, ...)
- amenity=parcel_locker, sub-classified by parcel_locker:type=* (circular, cabinet, parcel_box, ...)
- man_made=tower, sub-classified by tower:type=* (communication, lighting, bell_tower, observation, ...)
- emergency=fire_hydrant, sub-classified by fire_hydrant:type=* (underground, pillar, dry_barrel, pipe, wall, ...)
Value-based format
- <key> = <some_value>; <some_value>=*
- Here are some uses of type within the current schema with sample values in parentheses:
- amenity=studio, sub-classified by studio=* (audio, video)
- aeroway=aerodrome, sub-classified by aerodrome=* (public, military, private, ...)
- aeroway=navigationaid, sub-classified by navigationaid=* (adf, vor, vor-dme, waas, ils, ...)
- natural=volcano, refined with volcano:type=* (stratovolcano, shield, scoria, ...) and volcano:status=* (active, dormant, extinct, ...)
Alternative approaches
Additional keys can be used in cases where there is more than one major sub-classification, or for consistency with similar objects:
- man_made=pipeline, sub-classified by substance=* (water, drain, sewer, telecom, gas, ...)
- man_made=pumping_rig, sub-classified by substance=* or content=* (oil, gas, oil;gas, ...)
- man_made=reservoir_covered, please discuss possible replacements here
- natural=tree, can be classified using leaf_type=* (broadleaved, needleleaved, mixed, leafless, ...) and other tags for taxonomy (note that at least a genus=* tag is needed to distinguish palms from other broad-leaved trees, so don't remove a type=broad_leaved/palm tag without adding a genus=* or species=* tag!)
Top values
See also taginfo
See also
- type=* – Type of a relation