Add time duration methods

.gitignore

@@ -87,3 +87,4 @@ _version.py
 core_typemap.pkl
 
 venv/
+uv.lock

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 ### Added
 - Added 'target_tables' kwarg to DynamicTable subclasses to allow classes that extend DynamicTable subclasses to specify the mapping of DynamicTableRegion columns to the target tables. @rly, @stephprince [#2096](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/issues/2096)
+- Added `get_starting_time()` and `get_duration()` methods to `TimeSeries` to get the starting time and duration of the time series. @h-mayorquin [#2146](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/pull/2146)
+- Added `get_starting_time()` and `get_duration()` methods to `TimeIntervals` to get the earliest start time and total duration (span from earliest start to latest stop) of all intervals. @h-mayorquin [#2146](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/pull/2146)
 
 ### Fixed
 - Fixed incorrect warning for path not ending in `.nwb` when no path argument was provided. @t-b [#2130](https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/pull/2130)

src/pynwb/base.py

@@ -398,6 +398,57 @@ def get_timestamps(self):
         else:
             return np.arange(len(self.data)) / self.rate + self.starting_time
 
+    def get_starting_time(self):
+        """
+        Get the starting time of this TimeSeries in seconds.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        float or None
+            The starting time in seconds, or None if the TimeSeries has no data.
+        """
+        if self.num_samples is None or self.num_samples == 0:
+            return None
+        if self.fields.get('timestamps'):
+            return float(self.timestamps[0])
+        else:
+            return self.starting_time
+
+    def get_duration(self):
+        """
+        Get the duration of this TimeSeries in seconds.
+
+        Returns the time span from the first sample to the last sample.
+        For a single sample, returns 0.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        float or None
+            The duration in seconds, or None if the TimeSeries has no data.
+
+        Notes
+        -----
+        For rate-based TimeSeries: duration = (n - 1) / rate
+        For timestamp-based TimeSeries: duration = timestamps[-1] - timestamps[0]
+
+        The duration represents the time span between sample times, not the total
+        recording time. If you need to account for the last sample's duration
+        (e.g., for continuous recordings), add 1/rate manually.
+        """
+        n = self.num_samples
+        if n is None or n == 0:
+            return None
+
+        if n == 1:
+            return 0.0
+
+        if self.fields.get('timestamps'):
+            timestamps = self.timestamps
+            return float(timestamps[-1] - timestamps[0])
+        else:
+            # Rate-based
+            return (n - 1) / self.rate
+
     def get_data_in_units(self):
         """
         Get the data of this TimeSeries in the specified unit of measurement, applying the conversion factor and offset:

src/pynwb/epoch.py

@@ -81,3 +81,40 @@ def __calculate_idx_count(self, start_time, stop_time, ts_data):
         count = stop_idx - start_idx
         idx_start = start_idx
         return int(idx_start), int(count)
+
+    def get_starting_time(self):
+        """
+        Get the earliest start time across all intervals in this TimeIntervals table.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        float or None
+            The earliest start time in seconds, or None if the table is empty.
+        """
+        if len(self) == 0:
+            return None
+        import numpy as np
+        # NOTE: Could be optimized to self['start_time'].data[0] if intervals are guaranteed sorted
+        return float(np.min(self['start_time'].data[:]))
+
+    def get_duration(self):
+        """
+        Get the total duration from the earliest start time to the latest stop time.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        float or None
+            The duration in seconds, or None if the table is empty.
+
+        Notes
+        -----
+        The duration represents the time span from the earliest interval start to the
+        latest interval stop, not the sum of individual interval durations.
+        """
+        if len(self) == 0:
+            return None
+        import numpy as np
+        starting_time = self.get_starting_time()
+        # NOTE: Could be optimized to self['stop_time'].data[-1] if intervals are guaranteed sorted
+        stopping_time = float(np.max(self['stop_time'].data[:]))
+        return stopping_time - starting_time

tests/unit/test_base.py

@@ -545,6 +545,46 @@ def test_timestamps_data_length_warning_construct_mode(self):
                 # the test later on.
                 obj._in_construct_mode = False
 
+    def test_get_starting_time_with_rate(self):
+        """Test get_starting_time with rate-based TimeSeries"""
+        ts = mock_TimeSeries(data=[1, 2, 3], rate=10.0, starting_time=5.0)
+        self.assertEqual(ts.get_starting_time(), 5.0)
+
+    def test_get_starting_time_with_timestamps(self):
+        """Test get_starting_time with timestamp-based TimeSeries"""
+        ts = mock_TimeSeries(data=[1, 2, 3], timestamps=[2.5, 3.5, 4.5])
+        self.assertEqual(ts.get_starting_time(), 2.5)
+
+    def test_get_starting_time_empty_data(self):
+        """Test get_starting_time with empty data returns None"""
+        ts = mock_TimeSeries(data=[], rate=10.0)
+        self.assertIsNone(ts.get_starting_time())
+
+    def test_get_duration_with_rate(self):
+        """Test get_duration with rate-based TimeSeries"""
+        ts = mock_TimeSeries(data=[1, 2, 3, 4, 5], rate=10.0)
+        # (5-1) samples at 10 Hz = 4/10 = 0.4 seconds
+        self.assertEqual(ts.get_duration(), 0.4)
+
+    def test_get_duration_with_timestamps(self):
+        """Test get_duration with timestamp-based TimeSeries"""
+        ts = mock_TimeSeries(data=[1, 2, 3, 4], timestamps=[0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0])
+        # Duration from 0 to 3 seconds = 3 seconds
+        self.assertEqual(ts.get_duration(), 3.0)
+
+    def test_get_duration_single_sample(self):
+        """Test get_duration with single sample returns 0"""
+        ts_rate = mock_TimeSeries(data=[1], rate=10.0)
+        self.assertEqual(ts_rate.get_duration(), 0.0)
+
+        ts_timestamps = mock_TimeSeries(data=[1], timestamps=[5.0])
+        self.assertEqual(ts_timestamps.get_duration(), 0.0)
+
+    def test_get_duration_empty_data(self):
+        """Test get_duration with empty data returns None"""
+        ts = mock_TimeSeries(data=[], rate=10.0)
+        self.assertIsNone(ts.get_duration())
+
 
 class TestImage(TestCase):
     def test_init(self):

tests/unit/test_epoch.py

@@ -203,3 +203,43 @@ def test_from_dataframe_missing_supplied_col(self):
         df = pd.DataFrame({'start_time': [1., 2., 3.], 'stop_time': [2., 3., 4.], 'label': ['a', 'b', 'c']})
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             TimeIntervals.from_dataframe(df, name='ti_name', columns=[{'name': 'not there'}])
+
+    def test_get_starting_time(self):
+        """Test get_starting_time returns the earliest start time"""
+        ti = TimeIntervals(name='ti_name')
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=5.0, stop_time=10.0)
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=2.0, stop_time=7.0)
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=8.0, stop_time=12.0)
+        self.assertEqual(ti.get_starting_time(), 2.0)
+
+    def test_get_starting_time_empty_table(self):
+        """Test get_starting_time returns None for empty table"""
+        ti = TimeIntervals(name='ti_name')
+        self.assertIsNone(ti.get_starting_time())
+
+    def test_get_starting_time_single_interval(self):
+        """Test get_starting_time with single interval"""
+        ti = TimeIntervals(name='ti_name')
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=3.5, stop_time=7.5)
+        self.assertEqual(ti.get_starting_time(), 3.5)
+
+    def test_get_duration(self):
+        """Test get_duration returns span from earliest start to latest stop"""
+        ti = TimeIntervals(name='ti_name')
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=2.0, stop_time=5.0)
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=7.0, stop_time=10.0)
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=12.0, stop_time=18.0)
+        # Duration from earliest start (2.0) to latest stop (18.0) = 16.0
+        self.assertEqual(ti.get_duration(), 16.0)
+
+    def test_get_duration_empty_table(self):
+        """Test get_duration returns None for empty table"""
+        ti = TimeIntervals(name='ti_name')
+        self.assertIsNone(ti.get_duration())
+
+    def test_get_duration_single_interval(self):
+        """Test get_duration with single interval"""
+        ti = TimeIntervals(name='ti_name')
+        ti.add_interval(start_time=5.0, stop_time=10.0)
+        # Duration: 10.0 - 5.0 = 5.0
+        self.assertEqual(ti.get_duration(), 5.0)