developer.timerangebinding

Purpose

Describe logic for how timerange binding and control should be done. The goal is to get a set of transparent and describable rules that the users can understand and discuss, and make sure the code is doing this.

Introduction

This page is introduced around the release of the 2011 version, and Reiner indicated that he still couldn't follow the logic--he'd like to adjust the time by editing the timerange= property of a URI, but instead it is bound to the timerange already set.

Desired Logic

Use Case 1, Single Plot

This is the trivial case. When the data comes back with time location units, the x axis is bound to the timerange property.

Use Case 2, Stack of plots at the same time

Three URIs from the same time are added as a stack of plots. As each is loaded, it is found to have a timerange consistent with the timerange property, and is bound.

Use Case 3, Add plot after zooming in

Data from 2011-01-10 is loaded and the timerange property is bound. We zoom into a feature, and want to add a second dataset. We enter the GUI with the current timerange setting, select the parameter, and exit the GUI with the timerange unchanged. This new dataset is bound to the existing plot axis.

Use Case 4, Add new plot with shifted timerange

Data from 2011-01-10 is loaded and the timerange property is bound. We expect to an upstream satellite will see the feature on the previous day. We bring up a GUI for it, the user sets the timerange to the previous day, and exit the GUI. Since the timerange of the data returned is a day earlier, we do not bind to the timerange.

Use Case 5, Using timerange property in URI to control timerange

A stack of plots, each is already bound. Changing the URI of the top plot from ...&timerange=2011-01-10 to ...&timerange=2011-01-09 resets the plot, but the binding is preserved, so all the plots are reset with new times. The user must manually unbind the axis to explore a shifted time.

Use Case 6, Using timerange in data source editor GUI to control time

A stack of plots, each is already bound. Entering the GUI for the top plot has a similar effect, changing the timerange in the GUI changes the URI timerange, and the binding is preserved. Autoplot should decorate the GUI to indicate to the user that the timerange is bound.

Use Case 7, plot context controlled by timerange, and the context controls the TimeSeriesBrowse

A stack of two plots with TSB controlled by the dom.timeRange. The top plot has the filter |"histogram()" applied to it, so the dom.plot[0].context is bound to dom.timerange, and the TSB now listens to the dom.plot[0].context.

Use Case 8, plot context controlled by timerange, and the context controls the TimeSeriesBrowse, no time axes

One plot is of a histogram of a TSB dataset. As the dom.timeRange is adjusted, the histogram updates.

Notes

• Note the use case 6 logic has the feature of providing a GUI when there are stacks from two spacecraft shifted in time.

Notes on the current logic

• Use cases 5 and 6 are currently unimplemented. Changing the URI resets everything about the plot element, including any bindings.

Testing Sequences

test001

• plot vap+cdaweb:ds=AC_K0_SWE&id=Vp&timerange=2012-04-26
• scan previous
• use the editor to select Np
• plot below. Note the editor didn't have the timeaxis range in there, and it properly loads the explicit time "2012-04-26" instead of the timeaxis range.
• the two plots should have the same time, but don't.

Note, a lot of people have commented on and are surprised when the original URI doesn't update the timerange. This is intentional behavior, but it should probably be reviewed.

This actually was a bug in the CDAWeb module. It would ignore the time if it was outside of the dataset's valid range. This was not properly set for ACE. I've loosened up this rule by enlarging the mission timerange.

Test002

• plot vap+cdaweb:ds=AC_K0_SWE&id=Vp&timerange=2012-04-26
• plot vap+cdaweb:ds=AC_K0_SWE&id=Np&timerange=2012-04-20.
• reset
• from history, plot vap+cdaweb:ds=AC_K0_SWE&id=Vp&timerange=2012-04-26
• from history, plot vap+cdaweb:ds=AC_K0_SWE&id=Np&timerange=2012-04-20 below.
• someone will complain that these aren't bound.

Test003

The verifies use case 6.

• plot vap+das2server:http://emfisis.physics.uiowa.edu/das/das2Server?dataset=rbsp/emfisis/em2/Emag.dsdf&start_time=2012-05-10T19:00:00.000Z&end_time=2012-05-10T21:00:00.000Z
• plot below vap+das2server:http://emfisis.physics.uiowa.edu/das/das2Server?dataset=rbsp/emfisis/em2/Emag.dsdf&start_time=2012-05-10T19:00:00.000Z&end_time=2012-05-10T21:00:00.000Z
• edit the top panel, to make the timerange "2012-05-10 20:00 to 22:00"
• the dom timerange should update to this time.

Test004

This verifies use case 7.

reset()
plot( 0,'vap+cdaweb:ds=GE_K0_EFD&id=Ss&filter=geo&timerange=1993-01-01' )
plot( 1,'vap+cdaweb:ds=GE_K0_EFD&id=Ss&filter=geo&timerange=1993-01-01' )
dom.plotElements[0].component= '|histogram(0,200,1)'
waitUntilIdle()
dom.timeRange = dom.timeRange.next()

Test005

This verifies use case 8.

reset()
plot( 0,'vap+cdaweb:ds=GE_K0_EFD&id=Ss&filter=geo&timerange=1993-01-01' )
waitUntilIdle()
dom.plotElements[0].component= '|histogram(0,200,1)'
waitUntilIdle()
dom.timeRange = dom.timeRange.next()