Null value of an optional parameter

When an optional parameter is not given (the input field stays empty), it is not written as null in the config.json file generated by Brainlife but it is written as ““. So it is considered as an empty string by the Python code and an error occurs.

Case of a NUMBER parameter

For instance, the app-maxwell-filter takes the parameter st_duration as optional. This parameter is either a float or None. Locally, in the config.json.example, when this parameter is not given it is written as:

And when maxfilter.py parses the config.json.example, the value of this parameter is None.

When this App was registered on BL, the st_duration parameter was entered as follows:

Open

But, when no value was entered when executing the App, this parameter was written as follows in the config.json:

Then the value of this parameter is passed to the MNE function Maxwell Filter, which reads it as a string instead of None and an error is raised because the function expects a float or None:

So, to circumvent this issue, I add the following lines to maxfilter.py:

Case of a STRING parameter

app-maxwell-filter takes another optional parameter (param_regularize), and this time it is either a string or None. In this case, you can also add in the Python file:

and enter the parameter as follows in BL:

Open

Case of an ENUM parameter

When it is possible, meaning when your parameter is optional and the App user can choose between fixed values of the parameter, set this parameter to ENUM and select ‘optional’ when registering your App on BL:

Then, let the user choose between the fixed values of the parameter or an empty field, don’t propose None or null because in the config.json it will be written as:

instead of simply null.

Then, when you want this parameter to be None, just select the option don’t specify when you execute the App.

If you choose to enter your parameter as an ENUM parameter, no need to modify your Python file the way it is presented for a STRING parameter and a NUMBER parameter.

Convert all the parameters in a raw

For some Apps, a lot of parameters can be None, so it may be easier to convert all "” into None at the same time. So we run:

These lines were added to helper.py (see Create a helper.py file).