Add sphinx documentation of API functionality

.travis.yml

@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ before_install:
   - "pip install --global-option=build_ext --global-option='-I$GDALINST/include' --global-option='-L$GDALINST/lib' --global-option='-R$GDALINST/lib' GDAL==$GDAL_MINOR_VERSION"
 install:
   - pip install -I pytest>=3.0.0
-  - pip install -r requirements.txt .
+  - pip install -r requirements.txt
   - pip install .
 script:
+  - python setup.py build_sphinx 
   - py.test -v ce/tests

README.md

@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ $ source venv/bin/activate
 (venv)$ pip install -e .
 ```
 
+### Building the Documentation
+
+Building the docs requires the package to be installed first, as docstrings from installed modules are used to generate code documentation. 
+
+```
+pip install -e .
+pyenv/bin/python setup.py build_sphinx
+```
+
+HTML documentation will then be available in the `doc/build/html` directory.
+
 ### Running the dev server
 
 A development server can be run locally by using the Flask command line interface documented [here](http://flask.pocoo.org/docs/0.12/cli/). In general, you need to set one environment variable FLASK_APP=ce.wsgi:app and can optionally set FLASK_DEBUG=1 for live code reloading.

ce/api/data.py

@@ -20,22 +20,28 @@ def data(sesh, model, emission, time, area, variable, timescale='other',
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         model (str): Short name for some climate model (e.g "CGCM3")
-        emission (str): Short name for some emission scenario (e.g.
-            "historical+rcp85")
+
+        emission (str): Short name for some emission scenario
+            (e.g."historical+rcp85")
+
         time (int): Timestep index (0-based) representing the time of year;
             0-11 for monthly, 0-3 for seasonal, 0 for annual datasets.
+
         area (str): WKT polygon of selected area
+
         variable (str): Short name of the variable to be returned
+
         timescale (str): Description of the resolution of time to be
             returned (e.g. "monthly" or "yearly")
+
         ensemble_name (str): Name of ensemble
 
     Returns:
         dict:
-
-        Empty dictionary if there exist no files matching the provided
-        model and emissions scenario.
+            Empty dictionary if there exist no files matching the provided
+            model and emissions scenario.
 
         Otherwise returns a single dict keyed on the run id for all
         runs that match the model and emissions scenario. values are a

ce/api/grid.py

@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@ def grid(sesh, id_):
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         id_ (str): Unique id which is a key to the data file requested
 
     Returns:
-        dict: Empty dictionary if model_id is not found in the database.
+        dict: Empty dictionary if id_ is not found in the database.
 
         Otherwise, returns a single dict with the key of the file's
         unique_id and the value consisting of a nested dictionary with

ce/api/lister.py

@@ -8,14 +8,17 @@ def lister(sesh, ensemble_name='ce_files', model=None):
     '''
     Args
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         ensemble (str): Some named ensemble
+
         model (str): Short name for some climate model (e.g "CGCM3")
 
     Returns:
         list of all unique_ids within that ensemble and/or model.
 
-        For example:
-            ensemble = default, model = PRISM (assuming PRISM group is in 'ce' ensemble)
+        For example, given ensemble = default, model = PRISM
+        (assuming PRISM files are in 'ce_files' ensemble)::
+
             [
                 tmax_monClim_PRISM_historical_run1_198101-201012,
                 tmin_monClim_PRISM_historical_run1_198101-201012,

ce/api/metadata.py

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ def metadata(sesh, model_id):
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         model_id (str): Unique id which is a key to the data file requested
 
     Returns:

ce/api/models.py

@@ -9,13 +9,12 @@ def models(sesh, ensemble_name='ce_files'):
     Args
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
 
-    Returns list of all models available:
+    Returns list of all models available::
 
-    [
-    model_short_name1,
-    model_short_name2,
-    ...
-    ]
+        [
+        model_short_name1,
+        model_short_name2,
+        ]
     '''
 
     ensemble = sesh.query(Ensemble).filter(Ensemble.name == ensemble_name).first()

ce/api/multimeta.py

@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ def multimeta(sesh, ensemble_name='ce_files', model=''):
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         ensemble (str): Some named ensemble
+
         model (str): Short name for some climate model (e.g "CGCM3")
 
     Returns:

ce/api/multistats.py

@@ -19,18 +19,26 @@ def multistats(sesh, ensemble_name='ce_files', model='', emission='', time=0,
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         ensemble_name (str): The name of the application-level ensemble
             (e.g. "ce_files")
+
         model (str): Short name for some climate model (e.g "CGCM3") to
             be used as a filter
+
         emission (str): Short name for some emission scenario (e.g.
             "historical+rcp85") to be used as a filter
+
         time (int): Timestep index (0-based) representing the time of year;
             0-11 for monthly, 0-3 for seasonal, 0 for annual datasets.
+
         area (str): WKT polygon of selected area
+
         variable (str): Short name of the variable to be returned
+
         timescale (str): Description of the resolution of time to be
             returned (e.g. "monthly" or "yearly")
+
         cell_method (str): Statistical operation applied to variable in a
             climatological dataset (e.g "mean" or "standard_deviation").
             Defaulted to "mean".

ce/api/stats.py

@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@ def stats(sesh, id_, time, area, variable):
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         id_ (str): Unique id which is a key to the data file requested
+
         time (int): Timestep index (0-based) representing the time of year;
             0-11 for monthly, 0-3 for seasonal, 0 for annual datasets.
+
         area (str): WKT polygon of selected area
+
         variable (str): Short name of the variable to be returned
 
     Returns:

ce/api/streamflow/watershed.py

@@ -41,8 +41,16 @@ def watershed(sesh, station, ensemble_name):
     :param station: (string) Location of drainage point, WKT POINT format
     :param ensemble_name: (string) Name of the ensemble containing data files backing
         providing data for this request.
-    :return: (dict) representation for JSON response object. See function
-        `worker` for details.
+    :return: dict representation for JSON response object with the following
+        attributes:
+            area: Area of the watershed
+
+            elevation: Minimum and maximum elevations
+
+            shape: A GeoJSON object representing the outline of the watershed;
+                a concave hull of the cell rectangles.
+
+            hypsometric_curve: Elevation-area histogram of the watershed
 
     This function is primarily responsible for finding the relevant data files
     and converting their contents to `VicDataGrid` objects for consumption by
@@ -95,13 +103,7 @@ def worker(station_lonlat, flow_direction, elevation, area, hypso_params=None):
     :param flow_direction: (VicDataGrid) Flow direction grid
     :param elevation: (VicDataGrid) Elevation grid
     :param area: (VicDataGrid) Area grid
-    :return: dict representation for JSON response object with the following
-        attributes:
-            area: Area of the watershed
-            elevation: Minimum and maximum elevations
-            shape: A GeoJSON object representing the outline of the watershed;
-                a concave hull of the cell rectangles.
-            hypsometric_curve: Elevation-area histogram of the watershed
+    :return: (dict) representation for JSON response object; see watershed() for details
     """
     if hypso_params is None:
         # Default parameters cover total range of BC elevations from

ce/api/timeseries.py

@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@ def timeseries(sesh, id_, area, variable):
 
     Args:
         sesh (sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session): A database Session object
+
         id_ (str): Unique id which is a key to the data file requested
+
         area (str): WKT polygon of selected area
+
         variable (str): Short name of the variable to be returned
 
     Returns:

doc/Makefile

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Minimal makefile for Sphinx documentation
+#
+
+# You can set these variables from the command line, and also
+# from the environment for the first two.
+SPHINXOPTS    ?=
+SPHINXBUILD   ?= sphinx-build
+SOURCEDIR     = source
+BUILDDIR      = build
+
+# Put it first so that "make" without argument is like "make help".
+help:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M help "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+
+.PHONY: help Makefile
+
+# Catch-all target: route all unknown targets to Sphinx using the new
+# "make mode" option.  $(O) is meant as a shortcut for $(SPHINXOPTS).
+%: Makefile
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M $@ "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)

doc/make.bat

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+@ECHO OFF
+
+pushd %~dp0
+
+REM Command file for Sphinx documentation
+
+if "%SPHINXBUILD%" == "" (
+	set SPHINXBUILD=sphinx-build
+)
+set SOURCEDIR=source
+set BUILDDIR=build
+
+if "%1" == "" goto help
+
+%SPHINXBUILD% >NUL 2>NUL
+if errorlevel 9009 (
+	echo.
+	echo.The 'sphinx-build' command was not found. Make sure you have Sphinx
+	echo.installed, then set the SPHINXBUILD environment variable to point
+	echo.to the full path of the 'sphinx-build' executable. Alternatively you
+	echo.may add the Sphinx directory to PATH.
+	echo.
+	echo.If you don't have Sphinx installed, grab it from
+	echo.http://sphinx-doc.org/
+	exit /b 1
+)
+
+%SPHINXBUILD% -M %1 %SOURCEDIR% %BUILDDIR% %SPHINXOPTS% %O%
+goto end
+
+:help
+%SPHINXBUILD% -M help %SOURCEDIR% %BUILDDIR% %SPHINXOPTS% %O%
+
+:end
+popd

doc/source/api/api-index.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+API Documentation
+=================
+
+.. mdinclude:: api-overview.md
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 1
+   :caption: The backend exposes the following API endpoints:
+
+   data <data-api>
+   grid <grid-api>
+   lister <lister-api>
+   metadata <metadata-api>
+   models <models-api>
+   multimeta <multimeta-api>
+   multistats <multistats-api>
+   stats <stats-api>
+   timeseries <timeseries-api>
+   watershed <watershed-api>

doc/source/api/api-overview.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+Documentation for each API endpoint is automatically generated from the code and docstring for that API's main function and may not be entirely user-friendly. There are some minor differences between the internal workings of the API function and the process of querying them over the web.
+
+The query URL is constructed from a base url ending in a slash, followed by the name of the endpoint, a question mark, and then one or more parameters of the form `attribute=value', seperated by ampersands. Parameters supplied via query URL should be web-encoded so that they will be correctly parsed.
+
+The automatically generated API documentation describes a `sesh` (database session) argument to each API function. Database sessions are supplied by the query parser and does not need to be given in the query URL.
+
+For example, the `multimeta` function has a signature of `ce.api.multimeta(sesh, ensemble_name='ce_files', model='')`
+
+The query URL `https://base_url/multimeta?ensemble_name=ce_files&model=CanESM2` calls the `multimeta` endpoint and supplies two arguments for the `multimeta` function: `ensemble_name` is "ce_files" and `model` is CanESM2. `sesh` is not supplied in the query URL.
+
+The API function return values are converted to JSON for the endpoint response.

doc/source/api/data-api-usage.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+This endpoint accepts parameters describing a collection of datasets and a time of year and extracts data for the requested time of year from all datasets that match the parameters and contain it as one or more timeseries.
+
+It shows how a variable changes over the long term. For example, with six datasets representing different climatologies it would return mean daily  August precipitation from 1961-1990, 1971-2000, 1981-2010, 2010-2039, 2040-2069, and 2070-2099 as a single timeseries.
+
+This slices the data along a different axis than the `timeseries` endpoint, which shows values of a variable within a given dataset, and would return a timeseries consisting of mean daily precipitation for January 1961-1990, February 1961-1990, etc. instead.

doc/source/api/data-api.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+.. To update documentation on the data endpoint, update the docstring in the
+   code or data-api-usage.md.
+
+
+data
+====
+.. mdinclude:: data-api-usage.md
+
+.. mdinclude:: sesh-not-needed.md
+
+------
+
+.. autofunction:: ce.api.data

doc/source/api/grid-api-usage.md

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+This endpoint is not currently used by the PCEX frontend. It was originally intended to provide information needed for a user to select a polygon of interest on a map; this functionality is now handled by queries to the ncWMS map server. 
+
+This endpoint may be of use for systems that want to designate spatial areas of especial interest but are not using ncWMS.

doc/source/api/grid-api.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+.. To update documentation on the grid endpoint, update the docstring in the
+   code, or grid-api-usage.md.
+
+
+grid
+====
+.. mdinclude:: grid-api-usage.md
+
+.. mdinclude:: sesh-not-needed.md
+
+------
+
+.. autofunction:: ce.api.grid

doc/source/api/lister-api-usage.md

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+This endpoint returns a list of unique identification strings corresponding to all available datafiles. 
+
+It is not currently used by the PCEX frontend; it has been superceded by the `multimeta` endpoint. Like `lister`, `multimeta` returns a list of `unique_id` strings associated with all available files in an ensemble, but `multimeta` additionally returns metadata attributes describing the contents of each file. For most applications, it is probably more efficient to call `multimeta` than to call `lister` and then make a seperate query to get metadata describing each individual dataset to determine which ones are of interest.

doc/source/api/lister-api.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+.. To update documentation on the lister endpoint, update the docstring in the
+   code or lister-api-usage.md.
+
+
+lister
+======
+.. mdinclude:: lister-api-usage.md
+
+.. mdinclude:: sesh-not-needed.md
+
+------
+
+.. autofunction:: ce.api.lister

doc/source/api/metadata-api-usage.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This endpoint returns detailed metadata on a single file. In addition to returning attributes describing the data in the file, it returns a list of all timestamps available within the file. This allows a user to request a map image from the map server corresponding to a specific timestamp.