OJ Break API Reference

Introduction

OJ_Break is the name of the xBio:D RESTful(-like) API service to facilitate discovery of data within the xBio:D database. 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",...

Procedural Reference

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_rel_extended class with below extensions
• valid_taxon: taxon_basic (only present when defined)
• parent_taxon: taxon_basic
• 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

getIncludedTaxa

Description

Get the taxa that are directly included within a taxon but not synonymous with it.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• inst_id: number
• showSyns: string
• showFossils: string
• types_only: string
• show_num_spms: boolean_flag
• callback: string

Return

• tnuid: number
• parent_tnuid: number
• includedTaxa: array of taxon_extended

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getIncludedTaxa?tnuid=491&inst_id=0&showSyns=Y&showFossils=Y&types_only=N&show_num_spms=Y&callback=api

getTaxonSynonyms

Description

Get the taxa that are objective or subjectively synonymous with a taxon.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• showFossils: string
• callback: string

Return

• synonyms: array of taxon_rel_extended

Example

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

getLocalities

Description

Get the localities from vouchered and unvouchered records for a taxon.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• inst_id: number
• precDecimals: number
• showChildren: string
• callback: string

Return

• localities: array of loc_coords

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getLocalities?tnuid=30148&inst_id=0&precDecimals=4&showChildren=Y&callback=api

getLocalities

Description

Get the localities within geopolitical divisions from vouchered and unvouchered records for a taxon.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• pnids: array of pnid
• inst_id: number
• precDecimals: number
• showChildren: string
• callback: string

Return

• localities: array of loc_coords

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getLocalities?tnuid=30148&pnids=5816,5735&inst_id=0&precDecimals=4&showChildren=Y&callback=api

getCuids

Description

Get the occurrence identifiers (collecting unit IDs) for a taxon.

Parameters

• tnuid: number
• showChildren: string
• inst_id: number
• pnids: array of pnid
• callback: string

Return

• cuids: array of cuid

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getCuids?tnuid=30148&showChildren=Y&inst_id=1&pnids=&callback=api

getCuids

Description

Get the occurrence identifiers (collecting unit IDs) for selected taxa.

Parameters

• tnuids: array of tnuid
• pnids: array of pnid
• callback: string

Return

• cuids: array of cuid

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/OJ_Break.getCuids?tnuids=30148,491&pnids=5816,5735&callback=api

Method	Return	Description
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