Best practices
Please note that these are only guidelines as to how we recommend you display our data. Following these recommendations is optional. The graphics used are only examples, and should not be replicated exactly.
1) Show the sections of a train, placing emphasis on the best areas to board for a fast exit at the destination.
2) If there is an interchange to an adjacent platform that covers a large area of the train, the API will return multiple sections.
3) If you know in what direction the train will arrive at the start of the journey in relation to the platform, you should show this by changing the direction of the train so that the user knows at what end the front of the train will stop.
4) If the entire length of the train stops adjacent to an interchange, the API will return all 3 sections of the train. In this case, either inform the user that they can board any part of the train, or simply do not show the recommendation at all, as showing all 3 sections is redundant.
5) If information for the station is not available, or if the API cannot predict at what platform the train will arrive at, no data is returned. In this case, you should not show any recommendation so as not to confuse the user.
1) If you wish, you can show the carriage that the user should board instead of the section. Please note that this is not available for some platforms and/or stations, and you should fall back to the train sections if so. The API currently does not specify how long trains are, so unless you have this information you should use sections instead.
2) If the API returns a specific door and the side at which the doors will open, you can show this information too. Please note that this information is not available for all platforms and/or stations.
3) If there are multiple exits off the platform and you know what exit or interchange the user needs, only display the information for that exit, as shown in previous images. If the exit is at the end of the journey or you do not know the next interchange, present the user with a dropdown select containing each exit to choose what information they want to see.
4) Try not to show too much information together as this could confuse the user. Try to get your content as specific to their needs as possible.
If showing the best section of the train for the last leg of the journey, you should use the /platform/exits endpoint to list the station's street-level exits. Similarly, in between 2 legs of a journey you should only use the /platform/interchanges endpoint to find the best exit for a user to connect to the next leg of their journey. You must only display the relevant interchange using the exit.interchange_lines and exit.interchange_direction properties, and discard any other exits.