Isosmfar Overpass QL Filter Syntax Guide

Isosmfar uses Overpass QL filter syntax to query Openstreetmap features. You can use either simple key=value notation or the full Overpass QL filter syntax with brackets.

Simple Format (no brackets needed)

For basic queries, just type the key=value pair directly:

amenity=hospital - finds all hospitals
shop=supermarket - finds all supermarkets
highway=bus_stop - finds all bus stops
leisure=park - finds all parks
building=school - finds all school buildings

Advanced Filter Syntax

Multiple Conditions

Combine multiple filters by placing them in sequence:

[amenity=school][name~"Saint"] - schools with "Saint" in the name
[shop=bakery][opening_hours] - bakeries that have opening hours defined
[amenity=recycling]["recycling:glass"=yes] - recycling points that accept glass
[highway=residential][maxspeed] - residential streets with speed limits

Pattern Matching with Regular Expressions

Use the tilde (~) operator for regex pattern matching:

[amenity~"school|university|college"] - any educational institution
[name~"Hospital|Clinic"] - features with Hospital or Clinic in name
[name~"^Saint"] - names starting with "Saint"
[name~"Street$"] - names ending with "Street"
[ref~"^A[0-9]+"] - references starting with A followed by numbers

Special Characters in Keys

Keys containing colons, dashes, or other special characters must be quoted:

["recycling:glass"=yes]
["addr:housenumber"]
["name:en"~"Hospital"]
["roof:shape"=flat]

Checking for Tag Existence

[opening_hours] - has opening hours tag (any value)
[!parking] - does NOT have parking tag
[name][!description] - has name but no description

Important Limitation: Comparison operators (<, >, <=, >=) are NOT supported in the basic Overpass filter syntax used by Isosmfar. These operators only work in specific Overpass contexts like conditional statements (if:) that aren't available here.

Combining Simple and Advanced

You can type simple queries and Isosmfar will automatically add the brackets:

Type: amenity=hospital → Becomes: [amenity=hospital]
Type: amenity=school and name~Saint → Becomes: [amenity=school][name~Saint]

Common Examples by Category

Healthcare

amenity=hospital - hospitals
amenity=clinic - clinics
amenity=pharmacy - pharmacies
[amenity=doctors] - doctor offices
[healthcare~".*"] - any healthcare facility

Education

amenity=school - schools
amenity=university - universities
amenity=kindergarten - kindergartens
[amenity=school]["school:type"=primary] - primary schools only

Shopping

shop=supermarket - supermarkets
[shop]["organic"=yes] - organic shops
[shop~"bakery|butcher|greengrocer"] - fresh food shops

Transportation

highway=bus_stop - bus stops
railway=station - train stations
amenity=parking - parking areas
[highway=motorway] - motorways/highways

Emergency Services

emergency=fire_hydrant - fire hydrants
amenity=fire_station - fire stations
amenity=police - police stations
[emergency=defibrillator] - defibrillators