JOSM () ''(Java OpenStreetMap editor)'' is a

free software Free software or libre software is computer software distributed under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, and distribute it and any adapted versions. Free software is a matter of liberty, no ...

desktop editing tool for

OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free, open geographic database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveys, trace from aerial imagery and also import from other freely licensed g ...

geodata Geographic data and information is defined in the ISO/TC 211 series of standards as data and information having an implicit or explicit association with a location relative to Earth (a geographic location or geographic position). It is also call ...

created in

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

, originally developed by Immanuel Scholz and currently maintained by Dirk Stöcker. The editing tool contains advanced features that are not present in OSM's default online editor, iD.

Features

Some notable features of JOSM are importing GPX files (GPS tracks), working with

aerial imagery Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing aircra ...

(including WMS, TMS and

WMTS WMTS may refer to: * WMTS-FM, a radio station (88.3 FM) licensed to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States * Wireless Medical Telemetry Service, certain frequencies set aside by the FCC for wireless medical telemetry *Web Map Tile Service A Web M ...

protocols), support for multiple

cartographic projection In cartography, map projection is the term used to describe a broad set of transformations employed to represent the two-dimensional curved surface of a globe on a plane. In a map projection, coordinates, often expressed as latitude and longitud ...

s, layers, relations editing, data validation tools, data filtering, offline work, presets and rendering styles. JOSM provides more than 200

keyboard shortcut computing, a keyboard shortcut also known as hotkey is a series of one or several keys to quickly invoke a software program or perform a preprogrammed action. This action may be part of the standard functionality of the operating system or ...

s for the core functions. Many additional features (like tools for drawing buildings, adding Wikipedia links or viewing data in 3D) are available through the plugins. There are more than 100 of them in the repository.

History

* The first changeset was created on 27 September 2005. * The first beta version (which required Java 5) was made available on 4 October 2005 and JOSM 1.0 was released on 22 January 2006. * The current versioning scheme, using code

changeset In version control software, a changeset (also known as commit and revision) is a set of alterations packaged together, along with meta-information about the alterations. A changeset describes the exact differences between two successive versio ...

number, was introduced in 2008. * In 2014 the project logo was replaced with new one, which won a design contest. From this year stable releases are identified with additional YY.MM internal version number (following r6763 - 14.01), however they may not exactly reflect the release date. * Since revision 10786 (16.07) released on 12 August 2016, support for

versions earlier than 8 has been dropped. * Compatibility with

9 added on 2 September 2017, revision 12712 (17.08). * JOSM logo refreshed on 8 August 2019 to the current artwork. *

16 support added on 18 March 2021 Since revision 17580 (21.02). * JOSM had new

macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...

and

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

installers that both ship

16 and

JavaFX JavaFX is a software platform for creating and delivering desktop applications, as well as rich web applications that can run across a wide variety of devices. JavaFX has support for desktop computers and web browsers on Microsoft Windows, Linu ...

16 and

Debian Debian (), also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. The first version of D ...

launcher required openjfx since revision 18193 (21.08) released on 2 November 2021.

Usage

The highest number of edits in OSM are done using JOSM. The software was used to perform several large scale OSM imports, including

TIGER The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

data in the United States. JOSM can also be used for editing an OSM sister project OpenHistoricalMap. It's included as a package in many Linux distributions like

Ubuntu Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: ''Desktop'', ''Server'', and ''Core'' for Internet of things devices and robots. All the ...

Fedora A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...

Arch Linux Arch Linux () is an independently developed, x86-64 general-purpose Linux distribution that strives to provide the latest stable versions of most software by following a Rolling release, rolling-release model. The default installation is a minim ...

and the

OSGEO The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies and data. The foundation was formed in February 200 ...

Live DVD A live CD (also live DVD, live disc, or live operating system) is a complete bootable computer installation including operating system which runs directly from a CD-ROM or similar storage device into a computer's memory, rather than loading fro ...

Various tutorials are available. The LearnOSM Tutorial, translated in 16 languages, has a section on JOSM. It covers the editing process, the tools, the plugins, the presets, the imagery functionalities, conflict resolution and other features.

References

External links

*
JOSM help system

JOSM page on OSM Wiki
{{OpenStreetMap Free GIS software OpenStreetMap