feat(schema): Provide default JSON column definition for "conventional" columns

src/metaschema.json

@@ -82,7 +82,18 @@
           "patternProperties": {
             "^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$": {
               "allOf": [
-                { "$ref": "#/definitions/termTypes/JSONSchema" },
+                {
+                  "anyOf": [
+                    { "$ref": "#/definitions/termTypes/JSONSchema" },
+                    {
+                      "type": "object",
+                      "properties": {
+                        "definition": { "type": "object" }
+                      },
+                      "required": ["definition"]
+                    }
+                  ]
+                },
                 { "$ref": "#/definitions/termTypes/general" },
                 { "$ref": "#/definitions/termTypes/nameValue" },
                 {

src/schema/objects/columns.yaml

@@ -40,14 +40,20 @@ age:
 
     It is recommended to tag participant ages that are 89 or higher as 89+,
     for privacy purposes.
-  type: number
-  unit: year
+  definition: {
+    "LongName": "Subject age",
+    "Description": "Subject age in postnatal years",
+    "Units": "year",
+  }
 cardiac:
   name: cardiac
   display_name: Cardiac measurement
   description: |
     continuous pulse measurement
-  type: number
+  definition: {
+    "Description": "continuous pulse measurement",
+    "Units": "mV"
+  }
 channel:
   name: channel
   display_name: Channel
@@ -185,6 +191,27 @@ group__channel:
 handedness:
   name: handedness
   display_name: Subject handedness
+  definition: {
+    "LongName": "Subject handedness",
+    "Description": "String value indicating one of \"left\", \"right\", or \"ambidextrous\".",
+    "Levels": {
+      "left": "Left-handed",
+      "l": "Left-handed",
+      "L": "Left-handed",
+      "LEFT": "Left-handed",
+      "Left": "Left-handed",
+      "right": "Right-handed",
+      "r": "Right-handed",
+      "R": "Right-handed",
+      "RIGHT": "Right-handed",
+      "Right": "Right-handed",
+      "ambidextrous": "Ambidextrous",
+      "a": "Ambidextrous",
+      "A": "Ambidextrous",
+      "AMBIDEXTROUS": "Ambidextrous",
+      "Ambidextrous": "Ambidextrous",
+    }
+  }
   description: |
     String value indicating one of "left", "right", "ambidextrous".
 
@@ -194,25 +221,6 @@ handedness:
 
     For "ambidextrous", use one of these values: `ambidextrous`, `a`, `A`, `AMBIDEXTROUS`,
     `Ambidextrous`.
-  type: string
-  # TODO: Add definitions for these values. (perhaps don't specify)
-  enum:
-    - left
-    - l
-    - L
-    - LEFT
-    - Left
-    - right
-    - r
-    - R
-    - RIGHT
-    - Right
-    - ambidextrous
-    - a
-    - A
-    - AMBIDEXTROUS
-    - Ambidextrous
-    - n/a
 hemisphere:
   name: hemisphere
   display_name: Electrode hemisphere
@@ -368,7 +376,9 @@ pathology:
     When different from `healthy`, pathology SHOULD be specified.
     The pathology may be specified in either `samples.tsv` or
     `sessions.tsv`, depending on whether the pathology changes over time.
-  type: string
+  definition: {
+    "Description": "Description of the pathology of the sample or type of control."
+  }
 participant_id:
   name: participant_id
   display_name: Participant ID
@@ -429,7 +439,10 @@ respiratory:
   display_name: Respiratory measurement
   description: |
     continuous breathing measurement
-  type: number
+  definition: {
+    "Description": "continuous measurements by respiration belt",
+    "Units": "mV"
+  }
 response_time:
   name: response_time
   display_name: Response time
@@ -494,25 +507,27 @@ sex:
     For "female", use one of these values: `female`, `f`, `F`, `FEMALE`, `Female`.
 
     For "other", use one of these values: `other`, `o`, `O`, `OTHER`, `Other`.
-  type: string
-  # TODO: Add definitions for these values. (perhaps don't specify)
-  enum:
-    - male
-    - m
-    - M
-    - MALE
-    - Male
-    - female
-    - f
-    - F
-    - FEMALE
-    - Female
-    - other
-    - o
-    - O
-    - OTHER
-    - Other
-    - n/a
+  definition: {
+    "LongName": "sex",
+    "Description": "String value indicating phenotypical sex.",
+    "Levels": {
+      "F": "Female",
+      "FEMALE": "Female",
+      "Female": "Female",
+      "f": "Female",
+      "female": "Female",
+      "M": "Male",
+      "MALE": "Male",
+      "Male": "Male",
+      "m": "Male",
+      "male": "Male",
+      "O": "Other",
+      "OTHER": "Other",
+      "Other": "Other",
+      "o": "Other",
+      "other": "Other",
+    }
+  }
 short_channel:
   name: short_channel
   display_name: Short Channel
@@ -568,7 +583,10 @@ species:
     (for example, `homo sapiens`, `mus musculus`, `rattus norvegicus`).
     For backwards compatibility, if `species` is absent, the participant is assumed to be
     `homo sapiens`.
-  type: string
+  definition: {
+    "Description":
+      "binomial species name from the NCBI Taxonomy (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi)"
+  }
 status:
   name: status
   display_name: Channel status
@@ -609,7 +627,9 @@ strain:
   description: |
     For species different from `homo sapiens`, string value indicating
     the strain of the species, for example: `C57BL/6J`.
-  type: string
+  definition: {
+    "Description": "name of the strain of the species"
+  }
 strain_rrid:
   name: strain_rrid
   display_name: Strain RRID
@@ -649,7 +669,10 @@ trigger:
   display_name: Trigger
   description: |
     continuous measurement of the scanner trigger signal
-  type: number
+  definition: {
+    "Description": "continuous measurement of the scanner trigger signal",
+    "Units": "arbitrary"
+  }
 # type column in channels.tsv files
 type__channels:
   name: type

tools/schemacode/bidsschematools/render/tables.py

@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ def _make_object_table(
         "columns": "column",
     }.get(table_type)
 
-    for element in subschema.keys():
-        field_name = subschema[element]["name"]
+    for element, field in subschema.items():
+        field_name = field["name"]
         # NOTE: Link to the glossary entry,
         # except for subobjects (if table_type) and
         # "additional columns" (field_name.startswith("**"))
@@ -90,19 +90,19 @@ def _make_object_table(
             "[DEPRECATED](SPEC_ROOT/common-principles.md#definitions)",
         )
 
-        type_string = utils.resolve_metadata_type(subschema[element])
+        type_string = utils.resolve_metadata_type(field)
 
         description = utils.normalize_requirements(
-            subschema[element]["description"] + " " + description_addendum
+            f"{field['description']} {description_addendum}".strip()
         )
 
         # Append a list of valid values, if provided, to the description.
         # If there are a lot of valid values, this will add a link to the description linking to
         # the associated glossary entry.
-        if (
-            "enum" in subschema[element].keys()
-            and len(subschema[element]["enum"]) >= n_values_to_combine
-        ):
+        levels = subschema[element].get("enum", []) or subschema[element].get(
+            "definition", {}
+        ).get("Levels", [])
+        if len(levels) >= n_values_to_combine:
             glossary_entry = f"{GLOSSARY_PATH}.md#objects.{table_type}.{element}"
             valid_values_str = (
                 f"For a list of valid values for this {element_type}, see the "

tools/schemacode/bidsschematools/render/text.py

@@ -175,17 +175,19 @@ def make_glossary(schema, src_path=None):
         elif obj["type"] == "format":
             text += f"**Regular expression**: `{obj_def['pattern']}`\n\n"
 
-        keys_to_drop = ["description", "display_name", "name", "value", "pattern"]
-        if "enum" in obj_def.keys():
-            allowed_values = []
-            keys_to_drop.append("enum")
-            for value in obj_def["enum"]:
-                if isinstance(value, str):
-                    allowed_values.append(value)
-                else:
-                    allowed_values.append(value["name"])
-
-            text += f"**Allowed values**: `{'`, `'.join(allowed_values)}`\n\n"
+        keys_to_drop = [
+            "description",
+            "display_name",
+            "name",
+            "value",
+            "pattern",
+            "enum",
+            "definition",
+        ]
+        levels = list(obj_def.get("enum", []) or obj_def.get("definition", {}).get("Levels", {}))
+        if levels:
+            levels = [level["name"] if isinstance(level, dict) else level for level in levels]
+            text += f"**Allowed values**: `{'`, `'.join(levels)}`\n\n"
 
         text += f"**Description**:\n{obj_desc}\n\n"
 

tools/schemacode/bidsschematools/render/utils.py

@@ -222,6 +222,21 @@ def resolve_metadata_type(definition):
 
         string = " or ".join(substrings)
 
+    elif "definition" in definition:
+        json_def = definition["definition"]
+
+        if "Delimiter" in json_def:
+            # Delimiter indicates the value must be parsed. For BIDS purposes,
+            # this is a string, even if the parsed array is of numbers.
+            string = "string"
+        elif "Levels" in json_def:
+            # JSON keys are always strings.
+            string = "string"
+        elif "Units" in json_def:
+            # Values with units are always (any exceptions?) numbers.
+            string = "number"
+        else:
+            string = "string or number"
     else:
         # This clause should only catch $refs.
         # The schema should be deferenced by this point, so $refs should not exist.
@@ -246,7 +261,15 @@ def describe_valid_values(definition):
     str : A sentence describing valid values for the object.
     """
     description = ""
-    if "anyOf" in definition.keys():
+    if "anyOf" in definition:
+        return description
+
+    if "definition" in definition:
+        levels = definition["definition"].get("Levels")
+        if levels:
+            description = (
+                f"Unless redefined in a sidecar file, must be one of: {', '.join(levels)}."
+            )
         return description
 
     if definition["type"] == "boolean":