Issues:
- Displayed names need to reflect the full scope of the variable
- even if the names were unique, it is still hard to specify because DataValue attributes are used to differentiate series (Source, Method, and QualityControlLevel). Why is this a problem? Because GetVariables call will return a list of variables, but this will not include data value attributes. This is one reason for advocating series as the central concept.
- Programming Logic
Issue 1:
Best practices for displaying variables (Note, I think the display panel will need to move from a Menu to a DOM-based list(HTML and javascript))
Proposed immediate solution display:
Vocabulary:VariableCode\Attribute1=AttributeValue1\Attribute1=AttributeValue1
eg:
VariableName, EPA:XXXXX\SampleMedium=Water
or
VariableName, USU:90001\SampleMedium=Surface Water\DataType=Maximum
QUESTION: if an attribute is Unknown, should it be displayed?
Variable Table Columns
- variableCode (required)
- SampleMedium
- ValueType
- DataType
- GeneralCategory
- TimeSupport Information
- IsRegular
- TimeSupport (is TimeInterval a better word?)
- VariableUnitsID
- NoDataValue
I would like to cut it off at General Category.
I would be willing to allow for units, specified by UnitsAbbreviation, and TimeSupport, if simplifed to "(Period)(Interval)(TimeUnitsAbbreviation)" aka
Period
- P- Periodic Sampling with a Regular
- I - Irregular Sampling
15 Minutes = P15m
30 Minutes = P30m
1 day = P1d
Irregular = I
Longer Term Solution is to implement so capabilities that let the user select what options to display, and filter the list for what they are looking for.
Programming Logic:
variableDescription=[vocabulary]+":"+[variableCode]
For each Column in (SampleMedium, ValueType, DataType, VariableUnitsAbbrevation,QualitControlLEvel,Organization)
if ( Not (column == "Unknown')) append ColumnName=ColumnValue to Displayed variableDescription
if (isRegular) build timeSupport, append tovariableDescription