nowdatabase/documentation/api/time-units.md

Time Units API

This document outlines the REST endpoints for time units and the duplicate-name validation response shape used by the frontend.

Create or Update a Time Unit

PUT /time-unit/

Creates a new time unit when tu_name is omitted. Updates an existing time unit when tu_name is provided.

Request Body

{
  "timeUnit": {
    "tu_display_name": "Carboniferous",
    "rank": "Period",
    "sequence": "...",
    "up_bnd": "...",
    "low_bnd": "...",
    "references": []
  }
}

Only the relevant editable fields are shown above; the full payload mirrors the TimeUnitDetailsType shape.

Successful Responses

• 200 OK – Time unit was created or updated. Returns { "tu_name": "carboniferous" } for created records.

Validation Responses

• 403 Forbidden – Standard validation errors. Response matches the existing validator error array or cascade error object.

Missing Time Bound reference (guarded non-500 response)

When up_bnd and/or low_bnd references do not exist, the API now returns a deterministic client error instead of an internal server error.

• Status: 403 Forbidden
• Response body example (single invalid bound):

[
  {
    "name": "Lower Bound",
    "error": "Lower bound with ID 30000 does not exist"
  }
]

• Response body example (both invalid):

[
  {
    "name": "Upper Bound",
    "error": "Upper bound with ID 40000 does not exist"
  },
  {
    "name": "Lower Bound",
    "error": "Lower bound with ID 30000 does not exist"
  }
]

Duplicate Name Response

• 409 Conflict – A time unit with the same normalized name already exists.
• Response body:

{
  "message": "Time unit with the provided name already exists",
  "code": "duplicate_name"
}

Authentication

• Requires a valid JWT with Admin or EditUnrestricted roles.