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Clarify LabMetaData guidance: discourage one-row DynamicTable usage - #196

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oruebel merged 3 commits into
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copilot/improve-labmetadata-extension-text
Jun 30, 2026
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Clarify LabMetaData guidance: discourage one-row DynamicTable usage#196
oruebel merged 3 commits into
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copilot/improve-labmetadata-extension-text

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Copilot AI commented Jun 30, 2026

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The LabMetaData extension tutorial note could be read as recommending DynamicTable for simple extended metadata, including single-record cases. This update tightens the wording to distinguish tabular metadata from simple lab metadata and prevent that misinterpretation.

  • What was clarified

    • Kept the existing examples of valid DynamicTable use (TimeIntervals, ElectrodeTable).
    • Added explicit guidance that DynamicTable is appropriate when metadata is naturally tabular (multiple similar records/rows).
  • What was discouraged

    • Explicitly discourages creating a one-row DynamicTable for simple, non-tabular lab metadata.
  • Recommended path for this use case

    • Directs users to define a LabMetaData extension with explicit fields for simple lab-specific metadata.
Use these table structures when your metadata are naturally tabular (i.e., multiple rows of similar records).
For simple lab-specific metadata that are not tabular, avoid creating a one-row ``DynamicTable`` and
instead define a :py:class:`~pynwb.file.LabMetaData` extension with explicit fields as shown below.

Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Update documentation to discourage use of DynamicTable in LabMetaData Clarify LabMetaData guidance: discourage one-row DynamicTable usage Jun 30, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from oruebel June 30, 2026 07:59
@oruebel
oruebel marked this pull request as ready for review June 30, 2026 21:05
@oruebel
oruebel requested review from bendichter and rly June 30, 2026 21:06
@oruebel
oruebel merged commit 56a25a1 into main Jun 30, 2026
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@oruebel
oruebel deleted the copilot/improve-labmetadata-extension-text branch June 30, 2026 21:09
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3 participants