Talk:Key:non existent levels

non existent levels in the US

The common non existent level in the US, I think, would be 13. However because in the US we refer to the ground floor (`level=0`) as "the first floor", the "thirteenth floor" would be `level=12`. Looking at taginfo, I don't see any 12.

Assuming I have this right, could you add a reminder for the US, that `level=12` is what we probably want?

Alternately: it would make sense to me for `level` to refer to a zero-indexed "physical" level, while `level:ref` refers to the "colloquial" level. Which means "non existent levels" would be better called "non existent level refs". And then even in the UK, `level=13` would still exist, but it would be `level:ref=14`, and then `level=14 level:ref=15` and so on. But looking through the Wikis, I don't think this is how levels work. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Orblivion (talk • contribs) 17:00, 21 October 2024

Logically, to my British mind anyway, you'd put non_existent_level:0;13 in that situation and then any consumers of the data would have to do the necessary logic. However this would mean adding non_existent_level:0 to nearly every building in the US.

The alternative approach is to put level:ref for everything, so it displays one number less than it's "true" number according to OSM logic. That is even more work.

I've done non_existent_level:0 for Sheffield Student Union (the rare British building that doesn't have a level zero or "ground floor" because it's built on the side of a hill). It felt like the easier option.

--Plop the owl who was afraid of the dark (talk) 12:06, 2 April 2025 (UTC)

I don't find the poorly defined non_existent_levels=* worth salvaging further, as it easily mixes up the numbering of level=* indexes with level:ref=* wayfinding , and building:levels=* counting. It has very low use, not even exceeding 100 instances. Most are mass-added. https://taghistory.raifer.tech/?#***/non_existent_levels/
It could be proposed again as eg levels:ref:skipped=* (it's not "non-existent" structurally, but skipped in numbering) for listing skipped floor numbers on building=* , with clearer consensus on how it should be used. The other two min_level=* and max_level=* are similarly unclear, and should be updated with *:ref=* somehow. Simple_Indoor_Tagging#Building
—— Kovposch (talk) 07:06, 3 April 2025 (UTC)