nasa / nasa/python_cmr

Feature: Check for correct WKT coordinate ordering

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enhancement good first issue
Dominant language
Python
Stars
29
Forks
32
Avg merge
19h 6m
Merged PRs (30d)
1

Description

I was using earthaccess to search for some data, and I noticed that when I accidentally flipped the left/right coordinates in the bounding box, instead of an error being raised, it formed a polygon stretching the ~179 degrees around the Earth in the other direction.

The asf_search library raises a warning (and also repairs the winding direction) of your WKT when this happens, which is how I caught the mistake. Perhaps raising a warning that you may be entering the wrong coordinates during a search could be helpful?

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by tracing how bounding-box coordinates are converted into WKT during a search. Review the linked earthaccess report and the asf_search behavior for reversed coordinates, then identify the existing search tests or WKT-related entry point. Done means an incorrectly ordered bounding box produces a clear warning, with behavior verified by tests.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
api
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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