Add 'target_tables' kwarg to DynamicTable subclasses

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 ## PyNWB 3.1.3 (Unreleased)
 
+### Added
+- Added 'target_tables' kwarg to DynamicTable subclasses to allow classes that extend DynamicTable subclasses to specify the mapping of DynamicTableRegion columns to the target tables. @rly, @stephprince [#2096](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/issues/2096)
+
 ### Fixed
 - Fixed incorrect warning for path not ending in `.nwb` when no path argument was provided. @t-b [#2130](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/pull/2130)
 - Fixed issue with setting `neurodata_type_inc` when reading NWB files with cached schema versions less than 2.2.0. @rly [#2135](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/pull/2135)

src/pynwb/ecephys.py

@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ class ElectrodesTable(DynamicTable):
                                               'for this electrode.'), 'required': False}
     )
 
-    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'))
+    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
+            allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         kwargs['name'] = 'electrodes'
         kwargs['description'] = 'metadata about extracellular electrodes'

src/pynwb/epoch.py

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class TimeIntervals(DynamicTable):
     @docval({'name': 'name', 'type': str, 'doc': 'name of this TimeIntervals'},  # required
             {'name': 'description', 'type': str, 'doc': 'Description of this TimeIntervals',
              'default': "experimental intervals"},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)

src/pynwb/icephys.py

@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class IntracellularElectrodesTable(DynamicTable):
          'table': False},
     )
 
-    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         # Define defaultb name and description settings
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ class IntracellularStimuliTable(DynamicTable):
          'class': TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData},
     )
 
-    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         # Define defaultb name and description settings
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ class IntracellularResponsesTable(DynamicTable):
          'class': TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData},
     )
 
-    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         # Define defaultb name and description settings
@@ -493,7 +493,8 @@ class IntracellularRecordingsTable(AlignedDynamicTable):
     a single simultaneous_recording. Each row in the table represents a single recording consisting
     typically of a stimulus and a corresponding response.
     """
-    @docval(*get_docval(AlignedDynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'category_tables', 'categories'),
+    @docval(*get_docval(AlignedDynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames',
+            'category_tables', 'categories', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         kwargs['name'] = 'intracellular_recordings'
@@ -782,7 +783,7 @@ class SimultaneousRecordingsTable(DynamicTable):
                     'reading the Container from file as the table attribute is already populated in this case '
                     'but otherwise this is required.',
              'default': None},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         intracellular_recordings_table = popargs('intracellular_recordings_table', kwargs)
@@ -842,7 +843,7 @@ class SequentialRecordingsTable(DynamicTable):
                     'column indexes. May be None when reading the Container from file as the '
                     'table attribute is already populated in this case but otherwise this is required.',
              'default': None},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         simultaneous_recordings_table = popargs('simultaneous_recordings_table', kwargs)
@@ -900,7 +901,7 @@ class RepetitionsTable(DynamicTable):
                     'be None when reading the Container from file as the table attribute is already populated '
                     'in this case but otherwise this is required.',
              'default': None},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         sequential_recordings_table = popargs('sequential_recordings_table', kwargs)
@@ -953,7 +954,7 @@ class ExperimentalConditionsTable(DynamicTable):
              'type': RepetitionsTable,
              'doc': 'the RepetitionsTable table that the repetitions column indexes',
              'default': None},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         repetitions_table = popargs('repetitions_table', kwargs)

src/pynwb/misc.py

@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class Units(DynamicTable):
     )
 
     @docval({'name': 'name', 'type': str, 'doc': 'Name of this Units interface', 'default': 'Units'},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             {'name': 'description', 'type': str, 'doc': 'a description of what is in this table', 'default': None},
             {'name': 'electrode_table', 'type': DynamicTable,
              'doc': 'the table that the *electrodes* column indexes', 'default': None},
@@ -265,7 +265,8 @@ class FrequencyBandsTable(DynamicTable):
         {'name': 'band_stdev', 'description': 'The standard deviation Gaussian filters, in Hz.', 'required': False}
     )
 
-    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'))
+    @docval(*get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
+            allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         kwargs['name'] = 'bands'
         kwargs['description'] = 'Table for describing the bands that DecompositionSeries was generated from.'

src/pynwb/ophys.py

@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class PlaneSegmentation(DynamicTable):
             {'name': 'name', 'type': str, 'doc': 'name of PlaneSegmentation.', 'default': None},
             {'name': 'reference_images', 'type': (ImageSeries, list, dict, tuple), 'default': None,
              'doc': 'One or more image stacks that the masks apply to (can be oneelement stack).'},
-            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames'),
+            *get_docval(DynamicTable.__init__, 'id', 'columns', 'colnames', 'target_tables'),
             allow_positional=AllowPositional.WARNING,)
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         imaging_plane, reference_images = popargs('imaging_plane', 'reference_images', kwargs)

tests/unit/test_extension.py

@@ -136,7 +136,42 @@ def test_lab_meta_auto(self):
         nwbfile = NWBFile("a file with header data", "NB123A", datetime(2017, 5, 1, 12, 0, 0, tzinfo=tzlocal()))
 
         nwbfile.add_lab_meta_data(MyTestMetaData(name='test_name', test_attr=5.))
+
+    def test_custom_target_table(self):
+        ns_builder = NWBNamespaceBuilder('Extension for custom target table', self.prefix, version='0.1.0')
+        test_epochs_table_ext = NWBGroupSpec(
+            neurodata_type_def="MyEpochsTable",
+            neurodata_type_inc="TimeIntervals",
+            doc=("Custom table for storing my epochs. Inherits from TimeIntervals."),
+            datasets=[
+                NWBDatasetSpec(
+                    name="my_locations",
+                    doc="References row(s) of MyLocationsTable.",
+                    neurodata_type_inc="DynamicTableRegion",
+                ),
+            ] 
+        )
+        test_locations_table_ext = NWBGroupSpec(
+            neurodata_type_def="MyLocationsTable",
+            neurodata_type_inc="DynamicTable",
+            doc=("Table to reference."),
+            default_name="my_locations_table",
+        )
+
+        ns_builder.add_spec(self.ext_source, test_epochs_table_ext)
+        ns_builder.add_spec(self.ext_source, test_locations_table_ext)
+        ns_builder.export(self.ns_path, outdir=self.tempdir)
+        ns_abs_path = os.path.join(self.tempdir, self.ns_path)
+
+        load_namespaces(ns_abs_path)
 
+        MyLocationsTable = get_class('MyLocationsTable', self.prefix)
+        MyEpochsTable = get_class('MyEpochsTable', self.prefix)
+        my_locations_table = MyLocationsTable(name='test_name', description='test desc')
+        my_epochs_table = MyEpochsTable(name='test_name', 
+                                        description='test desc',
+                                        target_tables={'my_locations': my_locations_table})
+        self.assertIs(my_epochs_table['my_locations'].table, my_locations_table)
 
 class TestCatchDupNS(TestCase):