A simple Java class to convert Nominatim special phrases. Outputs data as a key with list of values. Output is stored in JSON file.

NominatimSpecialPhrasesConverter.java

package de.sebastianhesse.pbf.reader;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
import org.apache.commons.io.LineIterator;
import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;


/**
 * Converts a file containing Nominatim special phrases.
 * Result is stored as JSON, so a frontend script can easily read the values.
 * Data extracted from http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/index.php?title=Nominatim/Special_Phrases/DE
 */
public class NominatimSpecialPhrasesConverter {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // prepare input and output file
        String filepath = args[0];
        if (StringUtils.isBlank(filepath)) {
            System.out.println("You must provide a filename.");
            System.exit(1);
        }
        String outputFilepath = StringUtils.removeEndIgnoreCase(filepath, ".txt") + ".json";
        File originalFile = new File(filepath);
        File outputFile = new File(outputFilepath);
        resetFileIfExists(outputFile);

        // read each line and put key value pairs into a map. each key can have multiple values, thus Set<String>
        LineIterator lineIterator = null;
        Map<String, Set<String>> phrases = new HashMap<>();

        try (FileReader reader = new FileReader(originalFile); FileWriter writer = new FileWriter(outputFile)){
            lineIterator = IOUtils.lineIterator(reader);

            while (lineIterator.hasNext()) {
                String line = lineIterator.nextLine();
                // ignore comments and other lines, just parse lines with phrases
                if (StringUtils.startsWith(line, "| ")) {
                    handleKeyValuePair(phrases, line);
                }
            }

            // write phrases to output file as json
            ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
            mapper.writeValue(writer, phrases);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Something went wrong when reading/writing the input/output file.");
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }


    private static void resetFileIfExists(File outputFile) {
        if (outputFile.exists()) {
            outputFile.delete();
            try {
                outputFile.createNewFile();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
                System.exit(1);
            }
        }
    }


    private static void handleKeyValuePair(Map<String, Set<String>> phrases, String line) {
        // extract key and value pair
        String[] parts = StringUtils.split(line, "||");
        String key = parts[1].trim();
        String value = parts[2].trim();

        // add value to list of values for key
        Set<String> values = null;
        if (phrases.containsKey(key)) {
            values = phrases.get(key);
        } else {
            // first value to add, thus creating a new Set
            values = new HashSet<>();
            phrases.put(key, values);
        }
        values.add(value);
    }
}

poi_nominatim.json

{
  "boundary": [
    "administrative"
  ],
  "historic": [
    "archaeological_site",
    "mine",
    "wayside_shrine",
    "castle",
    "wayside_cross",
    "monument",
    "building",
    "manor",
    "wreck",
    "battlefield",
    "ruins",
    "boundary_stone",
    "memorial"
  ],
  "shop": [
    "gift",
    "insurance",
    "electronics",
    "beauty",
    "bicycle",
    "travel_agency",
    "butcher",
    "convenience",
    "car_repair",
    "copyshop",
    "deli",
    "motorcycle",
    "shopping_centre",
    "music",
    "charity",
    "furniture",
    "greengrocer",
    "farm",
    "florist",
    "funeral_directors",
    "stationery",
    "newsagent",
    "tobacco",
    "massage",
    "pet",
    "hardware",
    "alcohol",
    "jewelry",
    "beverages",
    "bakery",
    "mall",
    "tattoo",
    "books",
    "hifi",
    "carpet",
    "erotic",
    "wine",
    "salon",
    "department_store",
    "confectionery",
    "video",
    "supermarket",
    "general",
    "computer",
    "hairdresser",
    "car",
    "laundry",
    "mobile_phone",
    "garden_centre",
    "estate_agent",
    "chemist",
    "organic",
    "seafood",
    "doityourself",
    "art",
    "toys",
    "sports",
    "photo",
    "optician",
    "shoes",
    "clothes",
    "food",
    "outdoor",
    "car_parts",
    "fish",
    "dry_cleaning",
    "kiosk",
    "fashion"
  ],
  "natural": [
    "scree",
    "cliff",
    "cave_entrance",
    "fell",
    "heath",
    "rock",
    "spring",
    "land",
    "wood",
    "bay",
    "volcano",
    "ridge",
    "glacier",
    "marsh",
    "shoal",
    "reef",
    "coastline",
    "wetland",
    "tree",
    "peak",
    "scrub",
    "water",
    "moor",
    "beach",
    "valley",
    "cape",
    "mud"
  ],
  "man_made": [
    "windmill",
    "water_well"
  ],
  "amenity": [
    "college",
    "studio",
    "fountain",
    "public_building",
    "kneipp_water_cure",
    "place_of_worship",
    "fuel",
    "casino",
    "ice_cream",
    "post_box",
    "theatre",
    "motorcycle_parking",
    "bank",
    "bar",
    "hunting_stand",
    "school",
    "courthouse",
    "atm",
    "cinema",
    "community_centre",
    "prison",
    "nightclub",
    "nursing_home",
    "arts_centre",
    "biergarten",
    "bus_station",
    "bench",
    "taxi",
    "bureau_de_change",
    "telephone",
    "bicycle_rental",
    "dentist",
    "charging_station",
    "toilets",
    "cafe",
    "bicycle_parking",
    "doctors",
    "ferry_terminal",
    "pharmacy",
    "car_rental",
    "embassy",
    "gym",
    "fast_food",
    "dojo",
    "waste_basket",
    "kindergarten",
    "swingerclub",
    "animal_boarding",
    "shelter",
    "grit_bin",
    "university",
    "brothel",
    "car_sharing",
    "emergency_phone",
    "library",
    "driving_school",
    "sauna",
    "hospital",
    "vending_machine",
    "townhall",
    "car_wash",
    "register_office",
    "restaurant",
    "post_office",
    "recycling",
    "veterinary",
    "retirement_home",
    "fire_station",
    "crematorium",
    "police",
    "grave_yard",
    "drinking_water",
    "clinic",
    "pub"
  ],
  "waterway": [
    "weir",
    "derelict_canal",
    "rapids",
    "ditch",
    "riverbank",
    "drain",
    "dam",
    "boatyard",
    "stream",
    "water_point",
    "waterfall",
    "wadi",
    "canal",
    "river",
    "dock"
  ],
  "mountain_pass": [
    "yes"
  ],
  "emergency": [
    "fire_hydrant"
  ],
  "tourism": [
    "guest_house",
    "viewpoint",
    "hostel",
    "chalet",
    "artwork",
    "motel",
    "attraction",
    "museum",
    "alpine_hut",
    "caravan_site",
    "hotel",
    "camp_site",
    "information",
    "theme_park",
    "zoo",
    "picnic_site"
  ],
  "building": [
    "commercial",
    "shop",
    "city_hall",
    "university",
    "church",
    "dormitory",
    "hall",
    "office",
    "house",
    "retail",
    "faculty",
    "public",
    "flats",
    "school",
    "train_station",
    "farm",
    "hotel",
    "stadium",
    "block",
    "terrace",
    "entrance",
    "hospital",
    "tower",
    "bunker",
    "yes",
    "garage",
    "store",
    "chapel",
    "industrial",
    "residential",
    "apartments"
  ],
  "landuse": [
    "commercial",
    "forest",
    "farmyard",
    "brownfield",
    "farmland",
    "retail",
    "landfill",
    "piste",
    "vineyard",
    "grass",
    "construction",
    "farm",
    "military",
    "wood",
    "railway",
    "cemetery",
    "meadow",
    "greenfield",
    "village_green",
    "allotments",
    "basin",
    "quarry",
    "conservation",
    "industrial",
    "residential",
    "recreation_ground",
    "reservoir"
  ],
  "place": [
    "country",
    "town",
    "city",
    "hamlet",
    "island",
    "county",
    "locality",
    "municipality",
    "islet",
    "house",
    "sea",
    "houses",
    "farm",
    "suburb",
    "state",
    "region",
    "village"
  ],
  "railway": [
    "tram_stop",
    "light_rail",
    "disused",
    "platform",
    "monorail",
    "switch",
    "funicular",
    "halt",
    "level_crossing",
    "subway",
    "preserved",
    "station",
    "construction",
    "abandoned",
    "tram",
    "narrow_gauge",
    "subway_entrance"
  ],
  "highway": [
    "unclassified",
    "minor",
    "primary_link",
    "bus_guideway",
    "ford",
    "distance_marker",
    "platform",
    "rest_area",
    "path",
    "raceway",
    "trail",
    "road",
    "construction",
    "secondary_link",
    "track",
    "unsurfaced",
    "emergency_access_point",
    "byway",
    "bridleway",
    "tertiary",
    "living_street",
    "services",
    "stile",
    "motorway_link",
    "trunk",
    "motorway",
    "steps",
    "secondary",
    "residential",
    "motorway_junction",
    "service",
    "footway",
    "pedestrian",
    "bus_stop",
    "gate",
    "cycleway",
    "trunk_link",
    "primary"
  ],
  "leisure": [
    "ice_rink",
    "sports_centre",
    "fishing",
    "marina",
    "beach_resort",
    "common",
    "water_park",
    "recreation_ground",
    "playground",
    "stadium",
    "garden",
    "miniature_golf",
    "nature_reserve",
    "pitch",
    "slipway",
    "track",
    "golf_course",
    "park",
    "swimming_pool"
  ],
  "aeroway": [
    "aerodrome"
  ]
}