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.

Reference

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",...

Taxon

Method	Return	Description
getTaxonStats(tnuid:number, callback:string)
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)
getTaxonLiterature(tnuid:number, showSyns:Y|N, callback:string)