observatory-extension/doc/api_docs.md
2016-04-11 16:26:37 -04:00

3.7 KiB

Data Observatory Access

This file is for reference purposes only. It is intended for tracking the Data Observatory API functions that should be displayed from the Docs site. Like all API doc, the golden source of the code will live in this repo. I will pull the list of files below into the docs for the output.

Documentation

OBS_GetDemographicSnapshot

The Demographic Snapshot API call enables you to collect demographic details around a point location. For example, you can take the coordinates of a bus stop and find the average population characteristics in that location. If you need help creating coordinates from addresses, [see our geocoding documentation].

Fields returned include information about income, education, transportation, race, and more. Not all fields will have information for every coordinate queried.

API Syntax

https://{{account name}}.cartodb.com/api/v2/sql?q=SELECT * FROM
OBS_GetDemographicSnapshot({{point geometry}})

Parameters

Parameter Description Example
account name The name of your CartoDB account where the Data Observatory has been enabled example_account
point geometry A WKB point geometry. You can use the helper function, CDB_LatLng to quickly generate one from latitude and longitude CDB_LatLng(40.760410,-73.964242)

API Examples

Get the Demographic Snapshot at Camp David

https://example_account.cartodb.com/api/v2/sql?q=SELECT * FROM
OBS_GetDemographicSnapshot(CDB_LatLng(39.648333, -77.465))

Get the Demographic Snapshot at Morning Side Heights

https://example_account.cartodb.com/api/v2/sql?q=SELECT * FROM
OBS_GetDemographicSnapshot(CDB_LatLng(40.810201, -73.956601))

API Response

Click to expand

Available fields

todo

OBS_GetSegmentationSnapshot

The Segmentation Snapshot API call enables you to determine the pre calculated population segment for a location. For example, you can take the location of a store location and determine what classification of population exists around that location. If you need help creating coordinates from addresses, [see our geocoding documentation].

API Syntax

https://{{account name}}.cartodb.com/api/v2/sql?q=SELECT * FROM
OBS_GetSegmentationSnapshot({{point geometry}})

Parameters

Parameter Description Example
account name The name of your CartoDB account where the Data Observatory has been enabled example_account
point geometry A WKB point geometry. You can use the helper function, CDB_LatLng to quickly generate one from latitude and longitude CDB_LatLng(40.760410,-73.964242)

API Examples

Get the Segmentation Snapshot around the MGM Grand

https://example_account.cartodb.com/api/v2/sql?q=SELECT * FROM
OBS_GetSegmentationSnapshot(CDB_LatLng(36.10222, -115.169516))

Get the Segmentation Snapshot at CartoDB's NYC HQ

https://example_account.cartodb.com/api/v2/sql?q=SELECT * FROM
OBS_GetSegmentationSnapshot(CDB_LatLng(40.704512, -73.936669))

API Response

todo

Available fields

todo

Methodology

Segmentation is a method that divides a target market into subgroups based on shared common traits. While we plan to make many different segmentation methods available, our first release includes a segmentation profile first defined in a paper, Understanding America's Neighborhoods Using Uncertain Data from the American Community Survey: Output Data: US_tract_clusters_new.. See here for further information on the work in that paper.