def/strat_names: return ages for names with no units but known age ranges?

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def/strat_names: return ages for names with no units but known age ranges? #133

Open cambro opened 8 years ago

cambro commented 8 years ago

https://macrostrat.org/api/defs/strat_names?strat_name=waldron&rank=fm

NULL values are returned for t_age and b_age. Should we be returning something here? Most obvious would be to infer ages based on concept_id.

NB: stat_names_meta has an interval_id; thus even concepts with NO units can have an age returned.

jczaplew commented 8 years ago

We decided on returning NULL values for a reason - anything else implies that we have some specific knowledge of an age. If we want to use concepts and their intervals to interpolate ages, I think that should be a change for v3.

cambro commented 8 years ago

Ok, but if a name has a concept and if that concept has an explicit age, then we have explicit knowledge that is not being exposed. Perhaps there should be a different field for this age? t_age and b_age are modeled based on units. perhaps an interval?