Description
Return signed index gap in a supplied developmental stage order.
Developmental stages and lineages can be represented by labels, ordered events and observation intervals. Index and time differences preserve a declared representation but do not discover lineage, assign stage or establish biological equivalence.
Return signed index gap in a supplied developmental stage order.
When to use this tool
Use Embryo Stage Order Gap when checking an explicit stage, lineage or observation-coordinate convention.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter firstStage, secondStage, suppliedStageOrder. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read indexGap, sameStage. Inspect sameStage before interpreting the associated values.
Return signed index gap in a supplied developmental stage order. Require unique stage labels and both requested stages present; indexGap = second index-first index and sameStage tests equality.1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| firstStage | First Stage | Required. Text; maximum UTF-16 length 8192. |
| secondStage | Second Stage | Required. Text; maximum UTF-16 length 8192. |
| suppliedStageOrder | Supplied Stage Order | Required. Array of text; maximum UTF-16 length 8192; maximum items 256. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| indexGap | Index Gap | Required. Safe integer. |
| sameStage | Same Stage | Required. Boolean. |
{
"input": {
"firstStage": "stage-A",
"secondStage": "stage-C",
"suppliedStageOrder": [
"stage-A",
"stage-B",
"stage-C"
]
},
"output": {
"indexGap": 2,
"sameStage": false
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- Ordinal stage steps are not equal elapsed time or biological distance.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Review the original biological evidence and its staging or lineage model before drawing mechanistic conclusions.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Lineage Sibling Order Tie
Order lineage sibling IDs by birth times and an explicit tie policy.
- Morphogen Domain Edge Token
Classify position within a supplied closed-or-open domain.