OJ Break v2 Geographic Place Reference

Introduction

OJ_Break is the name of the xBio:D RESTful API service to facilitate discovery of data within the xBio:D database. The API can respond with JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), XML, or JSON with padding (JSONP) and accepts HTTP GET and POST requests indiscriminately. The backend of the API is written in Oracle's PL/SQL database language, which is fast but often inflexible, while a Python presentation layer mitigates request handling and authentication.

OJ_Break Version 2 is a new and improved edition of the work started in Version 1. Version 2 introduces a completely restructured and standardized data model to further enhance the functionality of the xBio:D database.

API Information and Access

This page specifies the methods and data defined by OJ_Break Version 2, more precisely those that are defined by the Geographic Place data domain. To get information on any of the other data domains defined in OJ_Break Version 2, visit the See also section.

Using the OJ_Break Version 2 API requires calling methods with corresponding, method specific parameters (found on this page) and a few other required parameters. These required parameters include specifying a return format, an API access key, and a version number.

   Example: http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/OJ_Break/getPlaceInfo?place_id=54&format=json&key=FBF57A9F7A666FC0E0430100007F0CDC&version=2

Notice the specification of the version parameter at the end of the example method call. With the introduction of OJ_Break Version 2, the version parameter has a default value of 2 making the specification in the example unnecessary. To read more about using the OJ_Break Version 2 API, go to OJ_Break API Access.

Procedural Reference

Geographic Place

getPlaceInfo

Parameters

• place_id: place_id
• format: string
• key: string
• version: number

Return

• PlaceExtended

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/OJ_Break/getPlaceInfo?place_id=54&format=json&key=FBF57A9F7A666FC0E0430100007F0CDC&version=2

getPlaceSubdivisions

Parameters

• place_id: place_id
• *offset: number
• *limit: number
• *pol_level: number
• format: string
• key: string
• version: number

Return

• PlaceReturnSubdivisions

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/OJ_Break/getPlaceSubdivisions?place_id=54&pol_level=1&format=json&key=FBF57A9F7A666FC0E0430100007F0CDC&version=2

getPlaceTaxa

Parameters

• place_id: place_id
• *offset: number
• *limit: number
• format: string
• key: string
• version: number

Return

• PlaceReturnTaxa

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/OJ_Break/getPlaceTaxa?place_id=54&format=json&key=FBF57A9F7A666FC0E0430100007F0CDC&version=2

getPlaceOccurrences

Parameters

• place_id: place_id
• *offset: number
• *limit: number
• *basic_only: Boolean_flag
• format: string
• key: string
• version: number

Return

• PlaceReturnOccurrences

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/OJ_Break/getPlaceOccurrences?place_id=54&format=json&key=FBF57A9F7A666FC0E0430100007F0CDC&version=2

getPlaceInstitutions

Parameters

• place_id: place_id
• *offset: number
• *limit: number
• format: string
• key: string
• version: number

Return

• PlaceReturnInstitutions

Example

http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/OJ_Break/getPlaceInstitutions?place_id=54&format=json&key=FBF57A9F7A666FC0E0430100007F0CDC&version=2

Geographic Place Data Type Glossary

Classes

PlaceBasic

• place_id: place_id
• place_name: place_name
• place_type: place_type
• pol_level: pol_level

PlaceExtended (extends PlaceBasic)

• hier: array of PlaceHierarchy

PlaceHierarchy

Aggregate of one or more of the following classes:

• PlaceHierarchyPol-4 (1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol-3 (0 or 1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol-2 (0 or 1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol-1 (0 or 1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol0 (0 or 1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol1 (0 or 1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol2 (0 or 1)
• PlaceHierarchyPol4 (0 or 1)

PlaceHierarchyPol-4

• pol-4: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol-3

• pol-3: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol-2

• pol-2: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol-1

• pol-1: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol0

• pol0: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol1

• pol1: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol2

• pol2: PlaceBasic

PlaceHierarchyPol4

• pol4: PlaceBasic

PlaceReturn

• general: PlaceBasic

PlaceReturnInstitutions (extends PlaceReturn)

• institutions: array of InstitutionBasic

PlaceReturnOccurrences (extends PlaceReturn)

• occurrences: array of OccurrenceExtended

PlaceReturnSubdivisions (extends PlaceReturn)

• subdivisons: array of PlaceBasic

PlaceReturnTaxa (extends PlaceReturn)

• taxa: array of TaxonRelationship

Elements

place_id

Number - A unique, numeric place identifier.

place_name

String - A place name string.

place_type

String - Geographic description of place, e.g. "Earth", "Hemisphere", "Continent" etc.

pol_level

Number - Numeric rank that is associated with a geographic description. Possible values are integers ranging from -4 to 4, excluding 3.

See also

Visit any of the below links to find information about the other data domains defined by OJ_Break Version 2.

• Agent
• Institution
• Journal
• Literature
• Locality
• Media
• Occurrence
• Search
• Taxon