Glossary¶

API¶

An API (Application Programming Interface) enables disparate software components to interact with each other by specifying functions or routines to perform tasks. Datavyu’s API uses the Ruby programming language.

argument¶

The information the user specifies to a method for a given parameter. For instance, “charlie” might be the argument specified for the name parameter. See: Classes, Methods, and Parameters.

cell¶

A cell is a graphical representation of an observation. Cells are rectangles that stack in the columns of Datavyu’s spreadsheet and contain the observation data that a coder inputs when coding a data source.

class¶

A pre-defined object type, that has associated attributes and methods. See: Classes, Methods, and Parameters.

class method¶

A method that belongs to a class and must be invoked on an instance of that class. See: Classes, Methods, and Parameters.

code¶

Datavyu codes are column components that researchers are observing. Each Datavyu column may have multiple codes for which a coder will record observations. For instance, a column called “step”, which refers to walking, might have a “foot” code that would differentiate between left or right feet, and a “direction” code that indicated if the person was stepping forward or backward.

coding manual¶

Documentation for codes in a Datavyu spreadsheet. Should be written as if instructing someone with no prior information about the spreadsheet or project.

coding pass¶

A pass intended to fill in all fillable codes in a column. Coding passes can be aided by previous passes so that work is not repeated.

column¶

Datavyu columns are phenomena or events that observations are collected about. Columns are key-value pairs that associate a column name with a variety of codes. Columns can be general, such as “trial” or “ID”, or can be specific, such as “step” or “hand”. Datavyu represents columns as a column in the Spreadsheet.

comment¶

A code that consists of freeform text. Useful for recording unique observations in the data.

Controller¶

The Controller is a core Datavyu window that enables you to control playback of data sources, and to record observations. See: Controller Overview

data¶

The audio or video files that are being studied.

frame rate¶

Frame rate (also known as frame frequency) is the frequency (rate) at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The three main frame rate standards are: 24p, 25p, and 30p.

integer¶

A whole number. Integers are numbers that are not fractions, and thus, which have no numbers after a decimal point.

key-value pair¶

A data representation that pairs “keys” (some thing you have data about) with “values” (the data itself). A key-value pair could be “telephone” and “555-123-4567”, for instance. Sometimes, values are represented as a list of values, or as an array.

method¶

A defined action that you can perform. Methods may accept arguments in order to perform their specified tasks. See: Classes, Methods, and Parameters.

observation¶

An instance of the column that is being coded.

offset¶

cell offset¶

The end time of a cell.

onset¶

cell onset¶

The start time of a cell.

ordinal¶

The position of a cell within its column. The ordinal is indicated in the top left corner of each cell in Datavyu.

parameter¶

The information that is methods use to perform their tasks. Parameters can be required or optional. See: Classes, Methods, and Parameters.

playhead¶

The playhead indicates the current point of playback in the timeslider of the Controller.

region¶

The area of the timeslider that has been brought into focus using the timeslider’s brackets.

reliability column¶

A Datavyu column that is a copy of an original column used to ensure that the coded observations are accurate.

script¶

A program that performs a specific task.

spreadsheet¶

The core Datavyu window where coders record observations. See: Spreadsheet Overview

standalone method¶

A method that does not belong to a specific class. See: Classes, Methods, and Parameters.

string¶

In computing, a string is a linear sequence of characters. Strings can be random characters, words, or sentences.

timeslider¶

The timeslider represents the length of the data source, and enables users to visualize where the playhead is with respect to the entirety of the data source.