description should be a source for naming relations

[stefanct]

Having proper strings to refer to relations within the GUI is very important. In many cases it is so important that we have given them invented names so that we could deal with them easier (route relations that have a name value including references, start and destination places, or any additional descriptive properties). Fortunately, we try to get rid of this name misuse and put them to better suitable tags but this often makes it harder to identify them in JOSM.

I have not studied the source in detail but I think I have found the place where the names are determined (or the tags to look at when generating the names to be precise:

DEFAULT_NAMING_TAGS_FOR_RELATIONS at ​https://github.com/openstreetmap/josm/blob/597cab135f3dad3569b1c273162910a0af88bb8e/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/osm/DefaultNameFormatter.java#L93

I propose to add the "description" key right after name or after ref - there are arguments for either. Ideally ref would be used, if there is no other relation with the same ref, i.e., if it is unique, and the description otherwise IMHO - but checking for uniqueness can quickly take some time. ;)

8% of route relations have a description key. I tried to determine how many of them don't have name and/or ref but overpassturbo times out... in any case I think it is widespread enough to be useful in JOSM and I am missing it.

[skyper]

See also name_template. Some could be added to defaultpresets.

[taylor.smock]

Closed as duplicate of #21046.