Thread: abbreviations in query params

Started: 2013-04-30 18:33:41
Last activity: 2013-05-01 00:03:41
Topics: Web Services
Philip Crotwell
2013-04-30 18:33:41
Hi

The main page for the fdsn dataselect and station web services say that you
should use network, station, location and channel. But the examples
sometimes use abbreviations like "sta". This example on the main fdsn
station page uses "network" but also "sta".

http://service.iris.edu/fdsnws/station/1/query?starttime=2013-01-01&network=IU&sta=ANMO&level=channel&nodata=404

Another point of confusion is that the docs for the fdsn event services
allow minlat instead of minlatitude, but the station docs seems to say
latitude must be spelled out in full.

The spec at http://www.fdsn.org/webservices/FDSN-WS-Specifications-1.0.pdfallows
these abbreviations, so I am guessing they are allowed for all
services. Can you clarify what abbreviations are allowed and update the web
pages to reflect this? I would rather form and send shorter urls, but don't
want to do that if things like "sta" are artifacts of the implementation
and might cease to work in the future.

It would also be really nice if the fdsn web service pages had links to the
actual FDSN web service spec. Since you are trying to implement that,
people might as well refer to it.

thanks
Philip

  • Chad Trabant
    2013-05-01 00:03:41

    Hi Philip,

    We will shortly fix the main pages of the services to consistently denote when the abbreviated versions of parameters are supported. The IRIS implementations support all the abbreviations allowed in the spec. In general if something is in the spec and supported by our service it should be considered supported and not an "artifact" just because the documentation is minority incomplete.

    A link to the specification has been added to each of the FDSN web services, thanks.

    Chad

    On Apr 30, 2013, at 8:33 AM, Philip Crotwell <crotwell<at>seis.sc.edu> wrote:

    Hi

    The main page for the fdsn dataselect and station web services say that you should use network, station, location and channel. But the examples sometimes use abbreviations like "sta". This example on the main fdsn station page uses "network" but also "sta".

    http://service.iris.edu/fdsnws/station/1/query?starttime=2013-01-01&network=IU&sta=ANMO&level=channel&nodata=404

    Another point of confusion is that the docs for the fdsn event services allow minlat instead of minlatitude, but the station docs seems to say latitude must be spelled out in full.

    The spec at http://www.fdsn.org/webservices/FDSN-WS-Specifications-1.0.pdf allows these abbreviations, so I am guessing they are allowed for all services. Can you clarify what abbreviations are allowed and update the web pages to reflect this? I would rather form and send shorter urls, but don't want to do that if things like "sta" are artifacts of the implementation and might cease to work in the future.

    It would also be really nice if the fdsn web service pages had links to the actual FDSN web service spec. Since you are trying to implement that, people might as well refer to it.

    thanks
    Philip
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