README.md

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ The service supports schemas that are based on Datalad's *Thing* schema, i.e. on
 It assumes that the classes of stored records are subclasses of `Thing`, and inherit the properties `pid` and `schema_type` from the `Thing`-baseclass.
 
 The general workflow in the service is as follows.
-We distinguish between two areas of a collection, an **incoming** are and a **curated** area.
+We distinguish between two areas of a collection, an **incoming** area and a **curated** area.
 Data written to a collection is stored in a collection-specific **incoming** area.
 A curation process, which is outside the scope of the service, moves data from the incoming area of a collection to the **curated** area of the collection.
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ So any read- and write-operations on an incoming area are actually restricted to
 Multiple tokens can share the same zone.
 That allows multiple submitters to work together when storing records in the service.
 
-The service provides a HTTP-based API to store and retrieve data objects, and to verify token capabilities.
+The service provides an HTTP-based API to store and retrieve data objects, and to verify token capabilities.
 
 ### Installing the service
 
@@ -53,11 +53,13 @@ The following command line parameters are supported:
 
 - `--root-path <path>`: Set the ASGI 'root_path' for applications submounted below a given URL path.
 
-- `--sort-by <field>`: By default result records are sorted by the field `pid`.
+- `--log-level`: set the log level for the service, allowed values are `ERROR`, `WARNING`, `INFO`, `DEBUG`. The default-level is `WARNING`.
-  This parameter allows overriding the sort field.
-  The parameter can be repeated to define secondary, tertiary, etc. sorting fields.
-  If a given field is not present in the record, the record will be sorted behind all records that possess the field.
 
+```bash
+dump-things-service /data-storage/store --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000
+```
+
+The above command runs the service on the network location `127.0.0.1:8000` and provides access to the store under `/data-storage/store`.
 
 ### Configuration file
 
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ collections:
 
     # The path to the curated data of the collection. This path should contain the
     # ".dumpthings.yaml"-configuration for  collections that is described
-    # here: <https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things/>.
+    # here: <https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things-storage-v0/>.
     # A relative path is interpreted relative to the storage root, which is provided on
     # service start. An absolute path is interpreted as an absolute path.
     curated: curated/personal_records
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ collections:
     # Optionally a list of classes that will be ignored when store- or validate-endpoints
     # are created. If `use_classes` is present, the entries of this list will further reduce
     # the classes that will receive endpoints. If `use_classes` is not present, the entries
-    # of this list will reduce the classes from the schema, the will receive endpoints.
+    # of this list will reduce the classes from the schema that will receive endpoints.
     # The classes listed here must be listed in `use_classes` if that is defined. If
     # `use_classes` is not defined, they must be listed in the schema.
     ignore_classes:
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@ tokens:
   # access to the two collections: "rooms_and_buildings" and "fixed_data".
   basic_access:
 
-    # The value of "user-id" will be added as an annotation to each record that is
+    # The value of "user_id" will be added as an annotation to each record that is
     # uploaded with this token.
     user_id: anonymous
 
@@ -206,7 +208,7 @@ tokens:
   # to `True`. A hashed token has the structure
   # `<id>-<sha256>`. It will match an incoming token if the incoming token has
   # the structure `<id>-<content>` and if sha256(`<content>`) equals `<sha256>`.
-  # In this example, if the client present sthe token `bob-hello`, he will be
+  # In this example, if the client presents the token `bob-hello`, he will be
   # granted access because `sha256('hello')` equals
   # `2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824`
   bob-2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824:
@@ -238,7 +240,7 @@ The backend will be used for the curated area and for the incoming areas of the
 If no backend is defined for a collection, the `record_dir+stl`-backend is used by default.
 The `+stl`-backends can be useful if an endpoint returns records of multiple classes, because it allows clients to determine the class of each result record.
 
-The service guarantees that backends of all types can co-exist independently in the same directory, i.e., there are no name collisions in files that are used for different backends (as long as no class name starts with `.` or `_`)).
+The service guarantees that backends of all types can co-exist independently in the same directory, i.e., there are no name collisions in files that are used for different backends (as long as no class name starts with `.` or `_`).
 
 The following configuration snippet shows how to define a backend for a collection:
 
@@ -291,10 +293,10 @@ collections:
         # `forgejo-user-<user-login>`
         label_type: team
         # An optional repository. The token will only be authorized
-        # if the team has access to the repository. Note: if `repo`
+        # if the team has access to the repository. Note: if `repository`
         # is set, the token must have at least repository read
         # permissions.
-        repo: reference-repository
+        repository: reference-repository
 
       # Fallback to the config file.
       - type: config    # check tokens from the configuration file
@@ -304,14 +306,14 @@ collections:
       # permissions for a token, those permissions will be used and no other
       # authorization sources will be queried.
       # The default authorization source is `config`, which reads the token 
-      # permissions, user-id, and incoming
+      # permissions, user-id, and incoming from the config file.
   
   collection_with_explicit_record_dir+stl_backend:
     default_token: anon_read
     curated: collection_3/curated
     backend:
-      # The record_dir-backend is identified by the
+      # The record_dir+stl backend is identified by the
-      # type: "record_dir". No more attributes are
+      # type: "record_dir+stl". No more attributes are
       # defined for this backend.
       type: record_dir+stl
 
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@ If an identical authentication source is listed multiple time in the configurati
 
 These authentication sources are available:
 
-- config: use the configuration file to 
+- config: use the configuration file to authenticate tokens
 - forgejo: use a Forgejo-instance to authenticate tokens
 
 All authentication source configurations contain the key `type`.
@@ -385,10 +387,10 @@ collections:
           # `forgejo-user-<user-login>`
           label_type: team
           # An optional repository. The token will only be authorized
-          # if the team has access to the repository. Note: if `repo`
+          # if the team has access to the repository. Note: if `repository`
           # is set, the token must have at least repository read
           # permissions.
-          repo: reference-repository
+          repository: reference-repository
     
         # Fallback to the config file.
         - type: config    # check tokens from the configuration file
@@ -398,7 +400,7 @@ collections:
         # permissions for a token, those permissions will be used and no other
         # authorization sources will be queried.
         # The default authorization source is `config`, which reads the token 
-        # permissions, user-id, and incoming
+        # permissions, user-id, and incoming from the config file.
 
 ...
 
@@ -478,7 +480,7 @@ The default annotation tag classes can be overridden in the configuration on a p
 To override the defaults tags, add a `submission_tags`-attribute to a collection definition.
 The `submission_tags`-attribute should contain a mapping that maps either `submitter_id_tag`, or `submitter_time_tag` or both to an IRI or a CURIE.
 If the schema defines a matching prefix, IRIs are automatically converted to CURIEs before storing the record.
-The service validates that the prefix of a CURIE is defined in the schema of the collection.
+If a tag is given as a CURIE, the service validates that the prefix of the CURIE is defined in the schema of the collection.
 
 ```yaml
 type: collections
@@ -496,152 +498,11 @@ collections:
 
 ```
 
-The service currently supports the following backends for storing records:
-- `record_dir`: this backend stores records as YAML-files in a directory structure that is defined [here](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things-storage-v0/). It reads the backend configuration from a "record collection configuration file" as described [here](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things-storage-v0/).
-
-- `sqlite`: this backend stores records in a SQLite database. There is an individual database file, named `__sqlite-records.db`, for each curated area and incoming area.
-
-- `record_dir+stl`: here `stl` stands for "schema-type-layer".
-  This backend stores records in the same format as `record_dir`, but adds special treatment for the `schema_type` attribute in records.
-  It removes `schema_type`-attributes from the top-level mapping of a record before storing it as YAML-file. When records are read from this backend, a `schema_type` attribute is added back into the record, using a schema to determine the correct class-URI.
-  In other words, all records stored with this backend will have no `schema_type`-attribute in the top-level, and all records read with this backend will have a `schema_type` attribute in the top-level.
-
-- `sqlite+stl`: This backend stores records in the same format as `sqlite`, but adds the same special treatment for the `schema_type` attribute as `record_dir+stl`.
-
-Backends can be defined per collection in the configuration file.
-The backend will be used for the curated area and for the incoming areas of the collection.
-If no backend is defined for a collection, the `record_dir+stl`-backend is used by default.
-The `+stl`-backends can be useful if an endpoint returns records of multiple classes, because it allows clients to determine the class of each result record.
-
-The service guarantees that backends of all types can co-exist independently in the same directory, i.e., there are no name collisions in files that are used for different backends (as long as no class name starts with `.` or `_`)).
-
-The following configuration snippet shows how to define a backend for a collection:
-
-```yaml
-...
-collections:
-  collection_with_default_record_dir+stl_backend:
-    # This is a collection with the default backend, i.e. `record_dir+stl` and
-    # the default authentication, i.e. config-based authentication.
-    default_token: anon_read
-    curated: collection_1/curated
-
-  collection_with_forgejo_authentication_source:
-    # This is a collection with the default backend, i.e. `record_dir+stl` and
-    # a forgejo-based authentication source. That means it will use a forgejo
-    # instance to determine the permissions of a token for this collection.
-    # The instance is also used to determine the user-id and the incoming label.
-    # In the case of forgejo, the user-id and the incoming label are the
-    # forgejo login associated with the token.
-
-    # We still need the name of a default token. If the token is defined in this
-    # config file, its properties will be determined by the
-    # config file. If the token is not defined in the config file, its
-    # properties will be determined by the authentication sources. In this
-    # example by the forgejo-instance at `https://forgejo.example.com`.
-    # If there is more than one authentication source, they will be tried
-    # in the order they are defined in the config file.
-    default_token: anon_read    # We still need a default token
-    curated: collection_2/curated
-
-    # Token permissions, user-ids (for record annotations), and incoming
-    # label can be determined by multiple authentication sources.
-    # If no source is defined, `config` will be used, which reads token
-    # information from the config file.
-    # This example explicitly defines `config` and a second authentication
-    # source, a `forgejo` authentication source.
-    auth_sources:
-      - type: forgejo   # requires `user`-read and `organization`-read permissions on token
-        # The API-URL of the forgejo instance that should be used
-        url: https://forgejo.example.com/api/v1
-        # An organization
-        organization: data_handling
-        # A team in the organization. The authorization of the team
-        # determines the permissions of the token
-        team: data_entry_personal
-        # `label_type` determines how an incoming label is created for
-        # a Forgejo token. If `label_type` is `team`, the incoming label
-        # will be `forgejo-team-<organization>-<team>`. If `label_type`
-        # is `user`, the incoming label will be 
-        # `forgejo-user-<user-login>`
-        label_type: team
-        # An optional repository. The token will only be authorized
-        # if the team has access to the repository. Note: if `repo`
-        # is set, the token must have at least repository read
-        # permissions.
-        repo: reference-repository
-
-      # Fallback to the config file.
-      - type: config    # check tokens from the configuration file
-
-      # Multiple authorization sources are allowed. They will be tried in the
-      # order defined in the config file. If an authorization source returns
-      # permissions for a token, those permissions will be used and no other
-      # authorization sources will be queried.
-      # The default authorization source is `config`, which reads the token 
-      # permissions, user-id, and incoming
-  
-  collection_with_explicit_record_dir+stl_backend:
-    default_token: anon_read
-    curated: collection_3/curated
-    backend:
-      # The record_dir-backend is identified by the
-      # type: "record_dir". No more attributes are
-      # defined for this backend.
-      type: record_dir+stl
-
-  collection_with_sqlite_backend:
-    default_token: anon_read
-    curated: collection_4/curated
-    backend:
-      # The sqlite-backend is identified by the
-      # type: "sqlite". It requires a schema attribute
-      # that holds the URL of the schema that should
-      # be used in this backend.
-      type: sqlite
-      schema: https://concepts.inm7.de/s/flat-data/unreleased.yaml
-```
-
-
-### Command line parameters:
-
-The service supports the following command line parameters:
-
-- `<storage root>`: this is a mandatory parameter that defines the directory that serves as root for relative `curated`- and `incoming`-paths. Unless the `-c/--config` option is given, the configuration is loaded from `<storage root>/.dumpthings.yaml`.
-
-- `--host`: (optional): the IP address of the host the service should run on
-
-
-- `--port`: the port number the service should listen on
-
-
-- `-c/--config`: if set, the service will read the configuration from the given path. Otherwise it will try to read the configuration from `<storage root>/.dumpthings.yaml`.
-
-
-- `--log-level`: set the log level for the service, allowed values are `ERROR`, `WARNING`, `INFO`, `DEBUG`. The default-level is `WARNING`.
-
-
-- `--root-path`: set the ASGI `root_path` for applications sub-mounted below a given URL path.
-
-
-The service can be started with the following command:
-
-```bash
-dump-things-service
-```
-In this example the service will run on the network location `0.0.0.0:8000` and provide access to the stores under `/data-storage/store`.
-
-To run the service on a specific host and port, use the command line options `--host` and `--port`, for example:
-
-```bash
-dump-things-service /data-storage/store --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000
-```
-
 ### Endpoints
 
-Most endpoints require a *collection*. These correspond to the names of the "data record collection"-directories (for example `myschema-v3-fmta` in [Dump Things Service](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things/)) in the stores.
+Most endpoints require a *collection*. These correspond to the names of the "data record collection"-directories (for example `myschema-v3-fmta` in [Dump Things Service](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things-storage-v0/)) in the stores.
 
-The service provides the following user endpoints (in addition to user-endpoints there exist endpoints for curators, to view them check the `/docs`-path in an installed service):
+The service provides the following user endpoints (In addition to user endpoints, there exist endpoints for curators. To view them, check the `/docs`-path in an installed service):
 
 - `POST /<collection>/record/<class>`: an object of type `<class>` (defined by the schema associated with `<collection>`) can be posted to this endpoint.
  It will be stored in the incoming area for this collection and the user defined by the provided token.
@@ -650,9 +511,9 @@ The service provides the following user endpoints (in addition to user-endpoints
  It can be set to `json` (the default) or to `ttl` (Terse RDF Triple Language, a.k.a. Turtle).
  If the `json`-format is selected, the content-type should be `application/json`.
  If the `ttl`-format is selected, the content-type should be `text/turtle`.  
- The service supports extraction of inlined records as described in [Dump Things Service](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things/).
+ The service supports extraction of inlined records as described in [Dump Things Service](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things-storage-v0/).
  On success, the endpoint will return a list of all stored records.
- This might be more than one record if the posted object contains inlined records.
+ The list may contain more than one record if the posted object contains inlined records.
 
 - `POST /<collection>/validate/record/<class>`: an object of type `<class>` (defined by the schema associated with `<collection>`) can be posted to this endpoint.
   It will validate the posted data.
@@ -661,12 +522,12 @@ The service provides the following user endpoints (in addition to user-endpoints
   It can be set to `json` (the default) or to `ttl` (Terse RDF Triple Language, a.k.a. Turtle).
   If the `json`-format is selected, the content-type should be `application/json`.
   If the `ttl`-format is selected, the content-type should be `text/turtle`.  
-  The service supports extraction of inlined records as described in [Dump Things Service](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things/).
+  The service supports extraction of inlined records as described in [Dump Things Service](https://concepts.datalad.org/dump-things-storage-v0/).
   On success, the endpoint will return a list of all stored records.
-  This might be more than one record if the posted object contains inlined records.
+  The list may contain more than one record if the posted object contains inlined records.
 
 - `GET /<collection>/records/<class>`: retrieve all readable objects from collection `<collection>` that are of type `<class>` or any of its subclasses.
- Objects are readable if the default token for the collection allows reading of objects or if a token is provided that allows reading of objects in the collection.
+ Objects are readable if the default token or the token provided has the permission to read the objects in the collection.
  Objects from incoming spaces will take precedence over objects from curated spaces, i.e. if there are two objects with identical `pid` in the curated space and in the incoming space, the object from the incoming space will be returned.
  The endpoint supports the query parameter `format`, which determines the format of the query result.
  It can be set to `json` (the default) or to `ttl`,
@@ -692,7 +553,7 @@ The service provides the following user endpoints (in addition to user-endpoints
 }
 ```
 
-- `GET /<collection>/record?pid=<pid>`: retrieve an object with the pid `<pid>` from the collection `<collection>`, if the provided token allows reading. If the provided token allows reading of incoming and curated spaces, objects from incoming spaces will take precedence.
+- `GET /<collection>/record?pid=<pid>`: retrieve an object with the pid `<pid>` from the collection `<collection>` if the provided token allows reading. If the provided token allows reading of incoming and curated spaces, objects from incoming spaces will take precedence.
   The endpoint supports the query parameter `format`, which determines the format of the query result.
   It can be set to `json` (the default) or to `ttl`,
 
@@ -717,7 +578,7 @@ The service provides the following user endpoints (in addition to user-endpoints
 
 
 - `GET /<collection>/records/`:  retrieve all readable objects from collection `<collection>`.
-  Objects are readable if the default token for the collection allows reading of objects or if a token is provided that allows reading of objects in the collection.
+  Objects are readable if the default token or the token provided has the permission to read the objects in the collection.
   Objects from incoming spaces will take precedence over objects from curated spaces, i.e. if there are two objects with identical `pid` in the curated space and in the incoming space, the object from the incoming space will be returned.
   The endpoint supports the query parameter `format`, which determines the format of the query result.
   It can be set to `json` (the default) or to `ttl`,
@@ -743,17 +604,17 @@ The service provides the following user endpoints (in addition to user-endpoints
 ```
 
 
-- `DELETE /<collection>/record?pid=<pid>`: delete an object with the pid `<pid>` from the incoming area of the collection `<collection>`, if the provided token allows writing to the incoming area.
+- `DELETE /<collection>/record?pid=<pid>`: delete an object with the pid `<pid>` from the incoming area of the collection `<collection>` if the provided token allows writing to the incoming area.
  The result is either `True` if the object was deleted or `False` if the object did not exists or was not deleted.
 
 
-- `GET /docs`: provides information about the API of the service, i.e. about all endpoints.
+- `GET /docs`: provides information about the service's API, i.e. about all endpoints.
 
 #### Curation endpoints
 
-The service support a set of curation-endpoints that give direct access to the curated area as well as to existing incoming areas.
+The service supports a set of curation endpoints that allows direct access to the curated area as well as the incoming areas.
-This access requires a `CURATOR`-token.
+A `CURATOR`-token required to access these endpoints.
-Details about the curation-endpoints can be found in [this issue](https://github.com/christian-monch/dump-things-server/issues/118).
+Details about the curation endpoints can be found in [this issue](https://github.com/christian-monch/dump-things-server/issues/118).
 
 
 ### Tips & Tricks
@@ -812,7 +673,7 @@ For example, to migrate from a `record_dir+stl` backend, the command is similar,
 ```
 (Note: a `record_dir:<path>` can be used to copy without the schema type layer from a `record_dir+stl` backend. But in this case the copied records will not have a `schema_type` attribute, because the `record_dir` backend does not "put it back in", unlike a `record_dir+stl` backend.)
 
-If the source backend is a `record_dir` or `record_dir+stl` backend and the store was manually modified outside the service (for example, by adding or removing files), it is recommended to run the command `dump-things-rebuild-index` on the source store before copying. This ensures that the index is up to date and all records are copied.
+If the source backend is a `record_dir` or `record_dir+stl` backend, and the store was manually modified outside the service (for example, by adding or removing files), it is recommended to run the command `dump-things-rebuild-index` on the source store before copying. This ensures that the index is up to date and all records will be copied.
 
 If any backend is a `record_dir+stl` backend, a schema has to be supplied via the `-s/--schema` command line parameter. The schema is used to determine the `schema_type` attribute of the records that are copied.
 
@@ -827,25 +688,25 @@ If any backend is a `record_dir+stl` backend, a schema has to be supplied via th
       record_dir:<path-to-data>/penguis/curated  \
       sqlite:<path-to-data>/penguis/curated
   ```
-  The copy command will add the copied records to any existing record in the destination store.
+  The copy command will add the copied records to any existing records in the destination store.
-  Note: when records are copied from a `record-dir` store, the index is used to locate the records in the source store. If the index is not up-to-date, the copied records might not be complete. In this case, it is recommended to run `dump-things-rebuild-index` on the source store before copying.
+  Note: when records are copied from a `record-dir` store, the index is used to locate the records in the source store. If the index is not up-to-date, some records may not be copied. To ensure all records are copied, it is recommended to run `dump-things-rebuild-index` on the source store before copying.
 
 - `dump-things-pid-check`: this command checks the pids in all collections of a store to verify that they can be resolved (if they are in CURIE form).
   This is useful to validate the proper definition of prefixes after schema-changes.
 
-- `dump-things-create-merged-schema`: this command creates a new schema that statically contains all schemas that the original schema imported.
+- `dump-things-create-merged-schema`: this command creates a new schema that statically contains all schemas that the original schema imports.
-  The new schema is fully self contained and does not reference any other schemas anymore.
+  The new schema is fully self-contained and does not reference any other schemas.
 
 ### If things go wrong
 
 #### Delete a record manually
 
-If a schema was changed, for example a prefix-definition changed, the service might not be able anymore to delete a record.
+If a schema is changed, for example a prefix-definition changed, the service may not be able to delete a record anymore.
-In this case the record can be deleted manually if you have access to the storage root.
+In this case, the record can be deleted manually if you have access to the storage root.
 
 To delete the record, open a shell and navigate (`cd`) to the directory where the store is located.
 The location can be determined from the configuration file.
-Depending on the storage backend, the next steps are different.
+Depending on the storage backend, the subsequent steps are different.
 
 ##### `record-dir` backend