Class docstrings

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/auto_recentre_stage.py

@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ AutofocusDep = lt.deps.direct_thing_client_dependency(AutofocusThing, "/autofocu
 
 
 class RecentringThing(lt.Thing):
+    """A Thing for recentring the stage by monitoring parasitic z motion of the stage.
+
+    As the stage moves over a sphere-cap there is parasitic motion in z during xy
+    movement. The highest z position is the centre of motion.
+    """
+
     @lt.thing_action
     def recentre(
         self,

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/autofocus.py

@@ -175,6 +175,13 @@ def _get_capture_index_by_id(captures: list[CaptureInfo], buffer_id: int) -> int
 
 
 class SharpnessDataArrays(BaseModel):
+    """A BaseModel with the position and sharpness data from JPEGSharpnessMonitor.
+
+    Each JPEG Size (representing a sharpness metric) has an associated timestamp,
+    as does each stage position. The stage positions need to be interpolated so
+    they correspond with the image timestamps.
+    """
+
     jpeg_times: NDArray
     jpeg_sizes: NDArray
     stage_times: NDArray
@@ -182,6 +189,21 @@ class SharpnessDataArrays(BaseModel):
 
 
 class JPEGSharpnessMonitor:
+    """A class with direct access to the CameraThing for monitoring the MJPEG stream.
+
+    The autofocus algorithm uses sharpness calculated from the file size of the
+    images in the MJPEG stream. This class monitors both the stage position and the
+    jpeg sharpness over time.
+
+    The ``run`` context manager is used to start monitoring the camera stream. Position
+    monitoring happens during ``focus_rel``. Raw data can be retrieved with
+    ``data_dict`` and data with interpolate ``z`` positions  can be retrieved with
+    move_data.
+
+    A new JPEGSharpnessMonitor instance is created each time an action with the
+    SharpnessMonitorDep as an argument is called.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self, stage: Stage, camera: Camera, portal: lt.deps.BlockingPortal):
         self.camera = camera
         self.stage = stage
@@ -564,7 +586,7 @@ class AutofocusThing(lt.Thing):
     ) -> tuple[bool, list[CaptureInfo], Optional[int]]:
         """Capture a series of images checking that sharpest image central.
 
-        The images are seperated in z offset by stack_parameters.stack_dz, as they
+        The images are separated in z offset by stack_parameters.stack_dz, as they
         are captured the last stack_parameters.min_images_to_test images are checked
         to see if the sharpest image is central enough in the stack. If it is the stack
         completes.
@@ -577,7 +599,7 @@ class AutofocusThing(lt.Thing):
 
             * the stack result (True for successful stack, False for failed stack),
             * a list of CaptureInfo objects,
-            * the buffer_id of the shapest image (or None if the stack failed)
+            * the buffer_id of the sharpest image (or None if the stack failed).
         """
         # Move down by the height of the z stack, plus an overshoot
         # Better to start too low and take too many images than too high and need to refocus

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/background_detect.py

@@ -17,12 +17,24 @@ from .camera import CameraDependency as CamDep
 
 
 class ChannelDistributions(BaseModel):
+    """A BaseModel for storing the channel distribution of a background image."""
+
     means: list[float]
+    """The mean of each channel in the colourspace."""
     standard_deviations: list[float]
+    """The standard deviation of each channel in the colourspace."""
     colorspace: str = "LUV"
+    """The colourspace used."""
 
 
 class BackgroundDetectThing(lt.Thing):
+    """Thing for setting a background image and detecting sample in the field of view.
+
+    This uses an LUV colour space checking only the mean and standard deviation of the
+    UV channels. Over time different, selectable, background detection methods will be
+    added.
+    """
+
     # Requires a getter and a setter to support being a BaseModel but being
     # saved to file as a dict
     _background_distributions: Optional[ChannelDistributions] = None

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/camera/__init__.py

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ from labthings_fastapi.types.numpy import NDArray
 
 
 class JPEGBlob(lt.blob.Blob):
+    """A class representing a JPEG image as a LabThings FastAPI Blob."""
+
     media_type: str = "image/jpeg"
 
 

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/camera_stage_mapping.py

@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ XYCoordinateType = Tuple[float, float]
 
 
 class HardwareInterfaceModel(BaseModel):
+    """A pydantic base model for a stage and camera interface.
+
+    This class provides access to both the stage and the camera, but
+    it is confusing both because it is a BaseModel of callables rather
+    than a class with methods, and because it uses names from the underlying
+    Thing actions, but performs different actions.
+    """
+
     move: Callable[[NDArray], None]
     get_position: Callable[[], NDArray]
     grab_image: Callable[[], NDArray]
@@ -123,6 +131,14 @@ HardwareInterfaceDep = Annotated[
 
 
 class MoveHistory(NamedTuple):
+    """A named tuple containing the position over time for a single move.
+
+    This a named tuple with elements:
+
+    * ``times``
+    * ``stage_positions``
+    """
+
     times: List[float]
     stage_positions: List[CoordinateType]
 
@@ -163,6 +179,13 @@ class LoggingMoveWrapper:
 
 
 class CSMUncalibratedError(HTTPException):
+    """An HTTP Exception raised if camera stage mapping data is needed but unavailable.
+
+    Camera Stage Mapping data is needed to convert from distances specified in fractions
+    of the feild of view to distances in motor steps. This is used when clicking on the
+    live preview to move, or when performing a scan.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self):
         HTTPException.__init__(
             self,
@@ -186,9 +209,8 @@ class CameraStageMapper(lt.Thing):
         direction: Tuple[float, float, float],
     ) -> DenumpifyingDict:
         """Move a microscope's stage in 1D, and figure out the relationship with the camera."""
-        move = LoggingMoveWrapper(
-            hw.move
-        )  # log positions and times for stage calibration
+        # log positions and times for stage calibration
+        move = LoggingMoveWrapper(hw.move)
         tracker = Tracker(hw.grab_image, hw.get_position, settle=hw.settle)
         direction_array: np.ndarray = np.array(direction)
 

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/settings_manager.py

@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ def nested_dict_get(data: dict, key: Sequence[str], create=False) -> Any:
 
 
 class SettingsManager(lt.Thing):
+    """Provides functionality to other Things about the current server state.
+
+    The SettingsManager is used to get information the microscope ID, the hostname
+    and the state of other Things.
+    """
+
     external_metadata = lt.ThingSetting(
         initial_value={},
         model=Mapping,

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/smart_scan.py

@@ -75,6 +75,13 @@ def _scan_running(method):
 
 
 class SmartScanThing(lt.Thing):
+    """A Thing for scanning samples and interacting with past scans.
+
+    SmartScanThing exposes all functionality for automatically scanning samples,
+    previewing live stitching, retrieving data from past scans, and for deleting
+    past scans.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self, scans_folder):
         self._scan_dir_manager = scan_directories.ScanDirectoryManager(scans_folder)
         self._preview_stitch_popen = None

src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/system_control.py

@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 
 class CommandOutput(BaseModel):
+    """A pydantic model passing the STDOUT and STDERR from a subprocess over HTTP."""
+
     output: str
     error: str