Merge pull request #486 from NeurodataWithoutBorders/update/timeinter…

…vals

Update TimeIntervals.timeseries to use new TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData

core/nwb.epoch.yaml

@@ -22,20 +22,7 @@ groups:
     doc: Index for tags.
     quantity: '?'
   - name: timeseries
-    neurodata_type_inc: VectorData
-    dtype:
-    - name: idx_start
-      dtype: int32
-      doc: Start index into the TimeSeries 'data' and 'timestamp' datasets of the
-        referenced TimeSeries. The first dimension of those arrays is always time.
-    - name: count
-      dtype: int32
-      doc: Number of data samples available in this time series, during this epoch.
-    - name: timeseries
-      dtype:
-        target_type: TimeSeries
-        reftype: object
-      doc: the TimeSeries that this index applies to.
+    neurodata_type_inc: TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData
     doc: An index into a TimeSeries object.
     quantity: '?'
   - name: timeseries_index

docs/format/source/format_release_notes.rst

@@ -6,17 +6,22 @@ Release Notes
 2.5.0 (Upcoming)
 ---------------------
 
+Major changes
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+- Shape of SpatialSeries.data is more restrictive to prevent > 3 columns. (#510)
+
 Minor changes
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 - Added an ``offset`` attribute to all ``TimeSeries`` objects to allow enhanced translation to scientific units.
+- Updated ``TimeIntervals`` to use the new ``TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData`` type. This does not alter the overall structure
+  of ``TimeIntervals`` in a major way aside from changing the value of the ``neurodata_type`` attribute in the file
+  from ``VectorData`` to ```TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData``. This change replaces the existing ``TimeIntervals.timeseries``
+  column with a ``TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData`` type column of the same name and overall schema. This change facilitates creating
+  common functionality around ``TimeSeriesReferenceVectorData``. This change affects all existing ``TimeIntervals`` tables
+  as part of the ``intervals/`` group, i.e., ``intervals/epochs``, ``intervals/trials``, and ``intervals/invalid_times``. (#486)
 - Clarified the doc string for the ``reference`` column of the electrodes table. (#498)
 - Added ``cell_id`` field to ``IntracellularElectrode``. (#512)
 
-Major changes
-^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-- Shape of SpatialSeries.data is more restrictive to prevent > 3 columns. (#510)
-
-
 2.4.0 (Aug. 11, 2021)
 ---------------------