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

Example

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

Classes

taxon_basic

tnuid

Number - tnuid element

taxon

String - taxon element

author

String - author element

taxon_stats

included

String - The number of taxa included within this taxon.

synonym

String - The number of taxa synonymous with this taxon.

maps

String - The number of occurrence records identified to this taxon.

lits

String - The number of literature citations to this taxon.

lits_syns

String - The number of literature citations to this taxon and its synonyms.

assocs

String - The number of number of distinct biological associations for this taxon.

habitats

String - The number of number of distinct habitats for this taxon.

insts

String - The number of collections with occurrence records for this taxon.

type_syns

String - The number of type specimens for this taxon and its synonyms.

Elements

author

String - The author(s) of a taxon with parenthesis surrounding the name of the author(s) if necessary.

fossil

String - A modified boolean string, either Y, N or B, representing whether a taxon name is a extinct fossil, exclusively extant, or present today and in fossils.

inst_id

Number - The collection (or institution) identifier which uniquely identifies a collection, vouchered or unvouchered. A value of 0 indicates that all of the collections are used.

rank

String - The taxonomic (hierarchical) rank of a taxon name.

rel_type

String - The taxonomic (hierarchical) relationship between the taxonomic concept indicated by the taxon name and its parent taxonomic concept. Can be Member, Junior synonym, etc.

status

String - The nomenclatural status of a taxon name using a formalized vocabulary.

taxon

String - A taxon name string.

tnid

Number - The taxon name identifier which uniquely identifies a taxon name string.

tnuid

Number - The taxon name use identifier which uniquely identifies a taxon.

valid

String - A Valid or Invalid string representing the validity of a taxon name using subjective interpretations if warranted.