galah_call: Start building a request

In galah: Biodiversity Data from the GBIF Node Network

Start building a request

Description

To download data from the selected atlas, one must construct a query. This query tells the atlas API what data to download and return, as well as how it should be filtered. Using galah_call() allows you to build a piped query to download data, in the same way that you would wrangle data with dplyr and the tidyverse. It is synonymous with request_data(); to query other data types call request_metadata() or request_files().

Usage

galah_call(
  type = c("occurrences", "occurrences-count", "occurrences-doi", "species",
    "species-count")
)

request_data(
  type = c("occurrences", "occurrences-count", "occurrences-doi", "species",
    "species-count")
)

request_metadata(
  type = c("fields", "apis", "assertions", "atlases", "collections", "config",
    "datasets", "licences", "lists", "media", "profiles", "providers", "ranks",
    "reasons", "taxa", "identifiers")
)

request_files(type = "media")

Arguments

type	string: what form of data should be returned? Acceptable values are specified by the corresponding request function

Details

galah_call() and any of the request_ functions are used to begin a piped query, which is then actioned using collect(), or optionally one of the atlas_ family of functions.

Having distinct functions for different types of request is useful because it allows galah to separate different types of requests to perform better. For example, filter.data_request()translates filters to solr syntax for the living atlases, or to predicates for GBIF, whereas filter.metadata_request() adds a search term to your metadata query.

Value

Each sub-function returns a different object class:

• request_data() and galah_call() return class "data_request"

• request_metadata() returns class "metadata_request"

• request_files() returns class "files_request"

These objects are list-like and store later dplyr verbs in the order they are provided.

See Also

To amend a request object, use apply_profile(), arrange(), count(), distinct(), filter(), glimpse(), group_by(), identify(), select, slice_head() or unnest(). For operations on ⁠_request⁠ objects, see capture(), compound(), collapse(), compute() or collect().

Examples

## Not run:  
# Begin your query with `galah_call()`, then pipe using `%>%` or `|>`

# Get number of records of *Aves* from 2001 to 2004 by year
galah_call() |>
  identify("Aves") |>
  filter(year > 2000 & year < 2005) |>
  group_by(year) |>
  count() |>
  collect()
  
# Get information for all species in *Cacatuidae* family
galah_call() |>
  identify("Cacatuidae") |>
  distinct("speciesID", .keep_all = TRUE) |>
  collect()
  
# Download records of genus *Eolophus* from 2001 to 2004
galah_config(email = "[e-mail]")

galah_call() |>
  identify("Eolophus") |>
  filter(year > 2000 & year < 2005) |>
  collect()

## End(Not run)

galah documentation built on Feb. 11, 2026, 9:11 a.m.