What is a .JOS file?
A .JOS file is a special kind of file that is used with a program called Java OpenStreetMap, often shortened to JOSM. This program helps people create and edit maps. The .JOS file contains important information in a format called XML, which is a way of organizing data in a readable form for both computers and humans. This information is all about a mapping session in JOSM, like what changes were made during that session.
These .JOS files are usually not found by themselves. Instead, they are often packed together with other files related to the map, like .OSM files which contain the actual map data. All these files are usually zipped together in a file that ends with .JOZ, which is like a folder that keeps all related files together in one place.
To open a .JOS file, you can use the Java OpenStreetMap program itself, which understands the file's format and can show you the session information it contains. If you don't want to use JOSM or you just want to look at the raw data, you can also open .JOS files with any text editor, like Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, or Gedit on Linux. Since the data is in XML format, it will look a bit technical, but you can still read through it to see the details of the mapping session.
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