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❓ Frequently Asked Questions ❓

Q: What is OSM Fieldwork?

A: OSM Fieldwork is a project to support field data collection using ODK and OpenStreetMap. The primary functionality is the ability to convert data collected with ODK Collect into OSM XML. In addition it can also create satellite imagery basemaps for ODK Collect and Osmand. In addition there is a library of XLSForms focused on humanitarian data collection.

Q: How do I install OSM Fieldwork ?

A: To install osm-fieldwork, you can use pip. Here are two options:

  1. Directly from the main branch: pip install git+https://github.com/hotosm/osm-fieldwork.git

    -OR-

  2. Latest on PyPi: pip install Osm-Fieldwork

Q: Where can I find the source code and the XLSForm library ?

A: Check the osm-fieldwork git repo here

Q: What language is Osm Fieldwork written in ?

A: OSM Fieldwork is written in Python and uses other modules like shapely, pyxform, xmltodict, pandas

Q: What is the XLSForm library ?

A: The library of XLSForms are primarily focused on humanitarian data collection, and follow data models designed by the Humanitarian Openstreetmap Team with consultation with other humanitarian NGOs. These are designed for efficient data collection and conversion to OSM XML format to allow for easy and high quality contributions to the map.

Q: Who can contribute to osm-fieldwork?

A: It is an open-source project, and contributions from developers and technical writers are always welcome.

Q: What kind of contributions can I make ?

A: There are several ways you can contribute to osm-fieldwork, including:

  • Development: If you have experience in development, you can contribute by fixing bugs, adding new features, or improving the existing codebase.
  • Documentation: If you have experience in technical writing, you can contribute by writing documentation, tutorials, or other educational materials.
  • Testing: If you have experience in software testing, you can contribute by testing the application and reporting bugs or suggesting improvements.

Q: How can I report a bug or suggest a new feature for OSM Fieldwork ?

A: You can report bugs or suggest new features by opening an issue on the OSM Fieldwork repository on GitHub. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible, including steps to reproduce the bug and any relevant error messages. For more details visit Contributions Page.

Q: Do I need to have prior experience with XLSForms or python to contribute to OSM Fieldwork ?

A: While prior experience with the various data formats usd by OSM Fieldwork is helpful, it is not required to contribute to OSM Fieldwork. You can start by reviewing the documentation, exploring the codebase, and contributing to issues labeled as good first issue.

Q: How can I get help or support for OSM Fieldwork ?

A: If you need help or support with XLSForms, you can reach out to the ODK community on the ODK Forum. For questions on OSM Fieldwork you can open an issue on the OSM Fieldwork repository.

Q: What are the benefits of contributing to OSM Fieldwork?

A: Contributing to OSM Fieldwork allows you to help improve a widely used tools for data collection.

Q: What is the license for OSM Fieldwork ?

A: OSM Fieldwork is AGPLv3, because it encourages us to all work together. The XLSForms themselves are under the CC 4.0

Q: How can I test my changes to OSM Fieldwork ?

A: OSM Fieldwork has a suite of automated tests that you can run to ensure that your changes do not introduce new bugs or break existing functionality. You can run the tests locally on your computer using the command-line interface or by setting up a continuous integration environment on a platform like Travis CI.

Q: Facing addititional problems?

A: Visit Troubleshooting.