Subpackages
Only parts of the LabInform infrastructure are own developments written in Python. Other components are based on well-established and robust free and open-source components, such as DokuWiki as basis of an electronic lab notebook (and much more).
The subpackages shortly described in the following are part of the LabInform Python package.
Datasafe
A local repository for “warm” (i.e. unpublished and largely not yet processed and analysed) research data. One key aspect of handling data is to store them in one place and access them via unique identifiers (here: a Lab Object Identifier, LOI). The Datasafe is the data storage component of the LabInform framework.
- Further information and documentation:
- State:
Beta: mostly working
Lab Object Identifier (LOI) resolver
Lab Object Identifiers (LOI) are local unique and persistent identifiers abstracting from paths in the (local) file system and URLs. They work mostly like the familiar DOIs or other UID/PID systems, but are entirely local and do not rely on any external authority. Hence, they can be used to identify each and every object in the lab, from instruments to ELN pages to sample inventory to research data of all kinds.
A resolver is basically a mapper from an LOI to the actual resource. This allows to access datasets stored in the Datasafe (see above) from within a recipe used in “recipe-driven data analysis” (a core component of the ASpecD framework), but referencing ELN pages or samples as well. Furthermore, the LOI abstracts from the (physical) location of the actual data.
- State:
Alpha: planned
Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) interface
The actual LabInform ELN is usually implemented using a DokuWiki instance. For details on the LabInform ELN see its documentation. However, it is often useful to interact directly from within programs, such as routines of the ASpecD framework. While DokuWiki provides a generic XML-RPC interface for wikis, there are Python libraries for XML-RPC handling. Together, they allow for retrieving information from the ELN as well as updating individual ELN pages with results from data processing and analysis (report capabilities of the ASpecD framework).
- State:
Alpha: planned