dtool-gui-tk: a graphical user interface for managing data using dtool

• GitHub: https://github.com/jic-dtool/dtool-gui-tk
• PyPI: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/dtool-gui-tk
• Free software: MIT License

Features

• List datasets
• View dataset metadata
• Create new datasets

Installation

This package requires Python3, i.e. it is not compatible with Python2.

pip install dtool-gui-tk

Usage

To start the application run the command:

dtool-tk

When the application starts for the first time the user will be asked to specify a directory to use as the "local base URI directory". This is the location where the application will look for existing datasets and save new datasets to. The local base URI directory can be set and updated using the "Edit >> Edit preferences..." dialogue.

Existing datasets are displayed on the left hand side of the main window. Information about a selected dataset is available on the right hand side of the main window.

The main window of the dtool-tk GUI

When creating a new dataset one has to specify the name and the input directory from where the data files will be copied. One also needs to specify the metadata schema to use to describe the metadata.

Metadata schemas are described using a subset of the JSON schema syntax. The dtool-tk application comes with one basic schema built in:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
     "description": {"type": "string"}
  },
  "required": ["description"]
}

More metadata schemas can be added by creating approprate JSON files in the user's ~/.config/dtool/metadata_schemas directory. Below is an example of a more complex metadata schema:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
     "description": {"type": "string", "minLength": 3, "maxLenth": 80},
     "age": {"type": "integer", "exclusiveMinimum": 0},
     "allowed": {"type": "boolean"},
     "celcius": {"type": "number", "exclusiveMinimum": -273.15},
     "continent": {
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "Africa",
          "Antarctica",
          "Asia",
          "Europe",
          "North America",
          "South America"
        ]
     }
  },
  "required": ["description"]
}

The "New dataset" window of dtool-tk, using a more "complex" metadata schema. The optional metadata items "age" and "allowed" have been selected. Feedback is provided if the metadata entered does not conform to the specification in the schema as in the case of having an "age" less than or equal to 0.

Shortcuts