Changes to API for discussion

Remove redudancy in responses

Many returned objects repeat properties that are redundant, usually due as a result of a query. For example,

GET http://waterml2.csiro.au/rgs-api/v1/gauging/?monitoring-point=419009

returns gaugings with the FOI encoded for every object.

e.g.
{
    "count": 325, 
    "next": "http://waterml2.csiro.au/rgs-api/v1/gauging/?monitoring-point=419009&page=2", 
    "previous": null, 
    "results": [
        {
            "id": 18953, 
            "phenomenonTime": "2011-04-14T00:00:00", 
            "featureOfInterest": "http://waterml2.csiro.au/rgs-api/v1/monitoring-point/419009/", 
            "observedPropertyFrom": {
                "id": "100", 
                "description": "", 
                "external_definition": ""
            }, 
            "observedPropertyTo": {
                "id": "141", 
                "description": "", 
                "external_definition": "http://neiivocab.bom.gov.au/std/water/xml/wio0.2/property/wdtf-parameters/WaterCourseDischarge_m3s"
            }, 
            "quality": 12, 
            "fromValue": "-0.31600", 
            "toValue": "110.02000"
        }, 

An improvement would be to more the FOI up one level:
{
     "count": 325, 
     "next": "http://waterml2.csiro.au/rgs-api/v1/gauging/?monitoring-point=419009&page=2", 
     "previous": null,
     "default": {
       "featureOfInterest": "http://waterml2.csiro.au/rgs-api/v1/monitoring-point/419009/"
      },
     "results": [
         {
             "id": 18953, 
             "phenomenonTime": "2011-04-14T00:00:00", 
             "observedPropertyFrom": {
                 "id": "100", 
                 "description": "", 
                 "external_definition": ""
             }, 
             "observedPropertyTo": {
                 "id": "141", 
                 "description": "", 
                 "external_definition": "http://neiivocab.bom.gov.au/std/water/xml/wio0.2/property/wdtf-parameters/WaterCourseDischarge_m3s"
             }, 
             "quality": 12, 
             "fromValue": "-0.31600", 
             "toValue": "110.02000"
         }, 

Here I've included in a "default" object. What exactly can be defaulted obviously depends on the type of objects being returned AND the allowed query parameters.

Do we:
  1. Default only if a property is included as a query parameter?
  2. Default by inspecting the properties in the collection to determine what should be defaulted?
Obviously 2 requires more work. With option 1, there will be cases where defaults get missed. E.g. the example above, it would be desirable to default the parameterTo/From combination but we can't guarantee that the collection won't conain multiple paramFrom/To combinations, so the property can't be defaulted.

-- PeterTaylor - 26 Jun 2014

This topic: HydrologyDWG > WebHome > WaterML2Part2 > ApplicationProgrammingInterfaceDevelopment > RGSAPIChangesForV2
Topic revision: 26 Jun 2014, PeterTaylor
This site is powered by FoswikiThe information you supply is used for OGC purposes only. We will never pass your contact details to any third party without your prior consent.
If you enter content here you are agreeing to the OGC privacy policy.

Copyright &© by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors.
Ideas, requests, problems regarding OGC Public Wiki? Send feedback