OJ Break API Reference

Introduction

OJ_Break is the name of the OSUC biodiversity RESTful(-like) API service. The API responds exclusively in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and accepts only HTTP GET and POST requests indiscriminately unlike a true REST API. Built using Oracle's PL/SQL database language, the API is fast but often inflexible and inconsistent, so take note of all of the comments below.

Overview

All API requests must be formatted by first selecting the OJ_Break library then specifying the API method. Also, each method must include a callback argument even if a callback function is unnecessary (e.g. jQuery AJAX requests).

The format for API calls is: http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.[method]?[argument1]=[value1]&...

• Example: http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getTaxonInfo?tnuid=5012&callback=test
• Response: test({"taxon":"Oxyscelio consobrinus","author":"(Kieffer)","status":"Subsequent name/combination","rank":"Species","valid":"Valid","fossil":"N","rel_type":"Member",...

Reference

Procedures

Taxon

getTaxonStats

Description

Get some basic taxonomic statistics for a taxon from a tnuid.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• callback: string

Return

• taxon: string
• author: string
• stats: taxon_stats

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getTaxonStats?tnuid=30148&callback=api

getTaxonInfo

Description

Get some basic taxonomic information for a taxon from a tnuid.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• inst_id: number
• callback: string

Return

• taxon: string
• author: string
• status: string
• rank: string
• rel_type: string
• valid_taxon: taxon_basic (only present when defined)
• parent_taxon: taxon_basic
• valid: string
• fossil: string
• hier: taxon_hierarchy
• source: taxon_source
• common_names: array of common_name
• orig_desc: contrib_literature_basic (only present when defined)
• stats: taxon_info_stats
• contribs: array of contribution

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getTaxonInfo?tnuid=30148&inst_id=0&callback=api

getTaxonHierarchy

Description

Get the taxonomic hierarachy in which a taxon is at the terminal node from a tnuid.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• callback: string

Return

• taxon: string
• author: string
• hier: taxon_hierarchy

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getTaxonHierarchy?tnuid=30148&callback=api

Method	Return	Description
getTaxonInfo(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getTaxonHierarchy(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getIncludedTaxa(tnuid:number, showSyns:Y|N, showFossils:Y|N, inst_id:number, types_only:Y|N|P, show_num_spms:Y|N, callback:string)
getTaxonSynonyms(tnuid:number, showFossils:Y|N, callback:string)
getLocalities(tnuid:number, inst_id:number, precDecimals:number, showChildren:Y|N, callback:string)
getLocalities(tnuid:number, inst_id:number, pnids:array of number, precDecimals:number, showChildren:Y|N, callback:string)
getCuids(tnuids:array of number, pnids:array of number, callback:string)
getCuids(tnuid:number, showChildren:Y|N, inst_id:number, pnids:array of number, callback:string)
getTypes(tnuid:number, showSyns:Y|N, inst_id:number, primary_only:Y|N, taxon_author_search:string, offset:number, limit:number, callback:string)
getInsts(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getTaxonLiterature(tnuid:number, showSyns:Y|N, callback:string)
getAssociations(tnuid:number, rank_grouping:string, callback:string)
getHabitats(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getTaxonImages(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getTaxonBreakdown(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getTaxonPhenology(tnuid:number, callback:string)
getTaxonNewTaxaByPub(tnuid:number, validOnly:Y|N, callback:string)
getTaxonNewTaxaByYear(tnuid:number, validOnly:Y|N, callback:string)
getTaxonStatsForYear(tnuid:number, stats_year:number, callback:string)

Occurrence / Specimen

Method	Return	Description
getSpmInfo(cuid:string, callback:string)
getSpmsInfo(cuids:array of string, callback:string)

Locality

Method	Return	Description
getLocalityInfo(locID:number, tnuid:number, inst_id:number, per_id:number, pnid:number, showChildren:Y|N, completeSpmInfo:Y|N, callback:string)

Place / Geopolitical Entity

Method	Return	Description
getPlaceInfo(place_id:number, callback:string)
getSubdivisions(place_id:number, callback:string)
getGeoTaxa(place_id:number, callback:string)
getGeoCollTrips(place_id:number, callback:string)
getGeoCollTrips2(place_id:number, callback:string)
getGeoInsts(place_id:number, callback:string)

Literature

Method	Return	Description
getLitReference(pub_id:number, callback:string)
getLitParts(pub_id:number, callback:string)
getPubTaxonCitation(pub_id:number, callback:string)
getPubAssocCitation(pub_id:number, callback:string)

Journal

Method	Return	Description
getJournalInfo(jrnl_id:number, callback:string)
getJournalPubs(jrnl_id:number, callback:string)
getJournalTaxa(jrnl_id:number, callback:string)

Institution

Method	Return	Description
getCollectionInfo(inst_id:number, callback:string)
getPrimaryTypes(inst_id:number, callback:string)
getSecondaryTypes(inst_id:number, callback:string)
getInstTaxa(inst_id:number, callback:string)
getInstCollTrips2(inst_id:number, callback:string)
getInstPubs(inst_id:number, callback:string)

Unvouchered Record

Method	Return	Description
getUnvoucheredRecord(unv_id:number, callback:string)
getUnvoucheredRecords(tnuid:number, showChildren:Y|N, pnids:array of number, callback:string)
getUnvoucheredRecords(tnuids:array of number, pnids:array of number, callback:string)
getUnvLocalityInfo(locID:number, tnuid:number, per_id:number, pnid:number, showChildren:Y|N, callback:string)

Text Search

Method	Return	Description
getSearchResults(name:string, limit:number, categoryLimit:string, callback:string)
getTaxaFromText(name:string, limit:number, nameOnly:Y|N, callback:string)
getCuidsFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)
getAgentsFromText(name:string, limit:number, includeParty:Y|N, callback:string)
getInstFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)
getJournalsFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)
getOrgsFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)
getPlacesFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)
getLocalitiesFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)
getCollMethodsFromText(name:string, limit:number, callback:string)

Data Type Glossary

OJ_Break API Data Type Glossary