fooof-tools · TomDonoghue · Apr 16, 2026 · Apr 16, 2026 · Apr 16, 2026 · Apr 16, 2026
diff --git a/doc/api.rst b/doc/api.rst
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ Metric Object
    :toctree: generated/
 
    Metric
+   check_metrics
 
 Metric Functions (Error)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

diff --git a/specparam/metrics/__init__.py b/specparam/metrics/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 """Metrics sub-module."""
 
 from .metric import Metric
+from .check import check_metrics
diff --git a/specparam/metrics/check.py b/specparam/metrics/check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+"""Functionality to check available metrics."""
+
+###################################################################################################
+###################################################################################################
+
+def check_metrics(category='all'):
+    """Check the set of available metrics.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    category : {'all', 'error', 'gof'}
+        Which category of metrics to check.
+    """
+
+    from specparam.metrics.definitions import METRICS
+
+    category = ['error', 'gof'] if category == 'all' else [category]
+
+    for cat in category:
+        print('Available {} metrics:'.format(cat))
+        for metric in METRICS[cat].values():
+            print('    {:15s}    {:s}'.format(metric.measure, metric.description))
diff --git a/specparam/metrics/definitions.py b/specparam/metrics/definitions.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """Collect together library of available built in metrics."""
 
-from functools import partial
-
 from specparam.metrics.metrics import Metric
 from specparam.metrics.error import (compute_mean_abs_error, compute_mean_squared_error,
                                      compute_root_mean_squared_error, compute_median_abs_error)
@@ -39,6 +37,14 @@
     func=compute_median_abs_error,
 )
 
+# Collect available error metrics
+ERROR_METRICS = {
+    'mae' : error_mae,
+    'mse' : error_mse,
+    'rmse' : error_rmse,
+    'medae' : error_medae,
+}
+
 ###################################################################################################
 ## GOF
 
@@ -58,30 +64,46 @@
             results.params.periodic.params.size + results.params.aperiodic.params.size},
 )
 
+# Collect available error metrics
+GOF_METRICS = {
+    'rsquared' : gof_rsquared,
+    'adjrsquared' : gof_adjrsquared,
+}
+
 ###################################################################################################
 ## COLLECT ALL METRICS TOGETHER
 
+# Collect a store of all available metrics
 METRICS = {
-
-    # Available error metrics
-    'error_mae' : error_mae,
-    'error_mse' : error_mse,
-    'error_rmse' : error_rmse,
-    'error_medae' : error_medae,
-
-    # Available GOF / r-squared metrics
-    'gof_rsquared' : gof_rsquared,
-    'gof_adjrsquared' : gof_adjrsquared,
-
+    'error' : ERROR_METRICS,
+    'gof' : GOF_METRICS,
 }
 
-
-def check_metrics():
-    """Check the set of available metrics."""
-
-    print('Available metrics:')
-    for metric in METRICS.values():
-        print('    {:8s} {:12s} : {:s}'.format(metric.category, metric.measure, metric.description))
-
-
-check_metric_definition = partial(check_selection, options=METRICS, definition=Metric)
+###################################################################################################
+## CHECKER FUNCTION
+
+def check_metric_definition(metric):
+    """Check a metric definition.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    metric : Metric or dict or str
+        Definition for a metric to check.
+        If dict, should have keys corresponding to a metric definition.
+        If str, should be the label corresponding to a defined metric (see `check_metrics`).
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    Metric
+        Metric definition.
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(metric, dict):
+        metric = Metric(**metric)
+    elif isinstance(metric, str):
+        category, label = metric.split('_')
+        metric = check_selection(label, METRICS[category], Metric)
+    else:
+        metric = check_selection(metric, [], Metric)
+
+    return metric
diff --git a/specparam/metrics/metrics.py b/specparam/metrics/metrics.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class Metrics():
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    metrics : list of Metric or list of dict
+    metrics : list of Metric or list of dict or list of str
         Metric(s) to add to the object.
     """
 
@@ -55,25 +55,21 @@ def add_metric(self, metric):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        metric : Metric or dict
+        metric : Metric or dict or str
             Metric to add to the object.
             If dict, should have keys corresponding to a metric definition.
+            If str, should be the label corresponding to a defined metric (see `check_metrics`).
         """
 
-        if isinstance(metric, dict):
-            metric = Metric(**metric)
-
-        metric = check_metric_definition(metric)
-
-        self.metrics.append(deepcopy(metric))
+        self.metrics.append(deepcopy(check_metric_definition(metric)))
 
 
     def add_metrics(self, metrics):
         """Add metric(s) to object
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        metrics : list of Metric or list of dict
+        metrics : list of Metric or list of dict or list of str
             Metric(s) to add to the object.
         """
 

diff --git a/specparam/modes/__init__.py b/specparam/modes/__init__.py
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 
 from .mode import Mode
 from .params import ParamDefinition
-from .definitions import check_modes
+from .check import check_modes
diff --git a/specparam/modes/check.py b/specparam/modes/check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Functionality to check available modes."""
+
+###################################################################################################
+###################################################################################################
+
+def check_modes(component='all', check_params=False):
+    """Check the set of modes that are available.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    component : {'all', 'aperiodic', 'periodic'}
+        Which component to check available modes for.
+    check_params : bool, optional, default: False
+        Whether to print out information on the parameters of each mode.
+    """
+
+    from specparam.modes.definitions import MODES
+
+    component = ['aperiodic', 'periodic'] if component == 'all' else [component]
+
+    for comp in component:
+        print('Available {:s} modes:'.format(comp))
+        for mode in MODES[comp].values():
+            if not check_params:
+                print('    {:15s}    {:s}'.format(mode.name, mode.description))
+            else:
+                print('\n{:s}'.format(mode.name))
+                print('    {:s}'.format(mode.description))
+                mode.check_params()
diff --git a/specparam/modes/definitions.py b/specparam/modes/definitions.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 """Define fitting modes."""
 
-from functools import partial
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
 from specparam.modes.mode import Mode
@@ -223,25 +222,21 @@
 ###################################################################################################
 ## CHECKER FUNCTION
 
-def check_modes(component, check_params=False):
-    """Check the set of modes that are available.
+def check_mode_definition(mode, component):
+    """Check a mode definition.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
+    mode : Mode or str
+        Definition for a mode to check.
+        If str, should be the label corresponding to a defined mode (see `check_modes`).
     component : {'aperiodic', 'periodic'}
-        Which component to check available modes for.
-    check_params : bool, optional, default: False
-        Whether to print out information on the parameters of each mode.
-    """
-
-    print('Available {:s} modes:'.format(component))
-    for mode in MODES[component].values():
-        if not check_params:
-            print('    {:10s}    {:s}'.format(mode.name, mode.description))
-        else:
-            print('\n{:s}'.format(mode.name))
-            print('    {:s}'.format(mode.description))
-            mode.check_params()
+        Which component the mode corresponds to.
 
+    Returns
+    -------
+    Mode
+        Mode definition.
+    """
 
-check_mode_definition = partial(check_selection, definition=Mode)
+    return check_selection(mode, MODES[component], definition=Mode)
diff --git a/specparam/modes/modes.py b/specparam/modes/modes.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from specparam.data import ModelModes
 from specparam.modes.mode import VALID_COMPONENTS
-from specparam.modes.definitions import check_mode_definition, AP_MODES, PE_MODES
+from specparam.modes.definitions import check_mode_definition
 from specparam.reports.strings import gen_modes_str
 
 ###################################################################################################
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ def __init__(self, aperiodic, periodic, model=None):
         self.components = VALID_COMPONENTS
 
         # Add mode definitions for each component
-        self.aperiodic = check_mode_definition(aperiodic, AP_MODES)
-        self.periodic = check_mode_definition(periodic, PE_MODES)
+        self.aperiodic = check_mode_definition(aperiodic, 'aperiodic')
+        self.periodic = check_mode_definition(periodic, 'periodic')
 
         self.model = model
 

diff --git a/specparam/plts/aperiodic.py b/specparam/plts/aperiodic.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from specparam.sim.gen import gen_freqs
 from specparam.modutils.dependencies import safe_import, check_dependency
 from specparam.modes.modes import check_mode_definition
-from specparam.modes.definitions import AP_MODES
 from specparam.plts.settings import ITERABLES, PLT_FIGSIZES
 from specparam.plts.templates import plot_yshade
 from specparam.plts.style import style_param_plot, style_plot
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@ def plot_aperiodic_fits(aps, freq_range, aperiodic_mode, control_offset=False, a
         Additional plot related keyword arguments, with styling options managed by ``style_plot``.
     """
 
-    aperiodic_mode = check_mode_definition(aperiodic_mode, AP_MODES)
+    aperiodic_mode = check_mode_definition(aperiodic_mode, 'aperiodic')
 
     ax = check_ax(ax, plot_kwargs.pop('figsize', PLT_FIGSIZES['params']))
 

diff --git a/specparam/plts/periodic.py b/specparam/plts/periodic.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from specparam.sim import gen_freqs
 from specparam.modutils.dependencies import safe_import, check_dependency
 from specparam.modes.modes import check_mode_definition
-from specparam.modes.definitions import PE_MODES
 from specparam.plts.settings import ITERABLES, PLT_FIGSIZES
 from specparam.plts.templates import plot_yshade
 from specparam.plts.style import style_param_plot, style_plot
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ def plot_peak_fits(peaks, periodic_mode, freq_range=None, average='mean', shade=
         Additional plot related keyword arguments, with styling options managed by ``style_plot``.
     """
 
-    periodic_mode = check_mode_definition(periodic_mode, PE_MODES)
+    periodic_mode = check_mode_definition(periodic_mode, 'periodic')
 
     ax = check_ax(ax, plot_kwargs.pop('figsize', PLT_FIGSIZES['params']))
 

diff --git a/specparam/sim/gen.py b/specparam/sim/gen.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 from specparam.utils.checks import check_flat
 from specparam.modes.modes import check_mode_definition
-from specparam.modes.definitions import AP_MODES, PE_MODES
 
 from specparam.sim.transform import rotate_spectrum
 
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ def gen_aperiodic(freqs, aperiodic_mode, aperiodic_params):
         Aperiodic values, in log10 spacing.
     """
 
-    ap_mode = check_mode_definition(aperiodic_mode, AP_MODES)
+    ap_mode = check_mode_definition(aperiodic_mode, 'aperiodic')
 
     ap_vals = ap_mode.func(freqs, *aperiodic_params)
 
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ def gen_periodic(freqs, periodic_mode, periodic_params):
         Peak values, in log10 spacing.
     """
 
-    pe_mode = check_mode_definition(periodic_mode, PE_MODES)
+    pe_mode = check_mode_definition(periodic_mode, 'periodic')
 
     pe_vals = pe_mode.func(freqs, *check_flat(periodic_params))
 

diff --git a/specparam/sim/params.py b/specparam/sim/params.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 from specparam.data import SimParams
 from specparam.modes.modes import check_mode_definition
-from specparam.modes.definitions import AP_MODES
 from specparam.utils.checks import check_flat
 from specparam.modutils.errors import InconsistentDataError
 
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ def update_sim_ap_params(sim_params, delta, field=None):
     # If labels are given, update deltas according to their labels
     else:
 
-        aperiodic_mode = check_mode_definition(ap_mode, AP_MODES)
+        aperiodic_mode = check_mode_definition(ap_mode, 'aperiodic')
 
         # This loop checks & casts to list, to work for single or multiple passed in values
         for cur_field, cur_delta in zip(list([field]) if not isinstance(field, list) else field,

diff --git a/specparam/tests/metrics/test_check.py b/specparam/tests/metrics/test_check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+"""Test functions for specparam.metrics.check."""
+
+from specparam.metrics.check import *
+
+###################################################################################################
+###################################################################################################
+
+def test_check_metrics():
+
+    check_metrics()
diff --git a/specparam/tests/metrics/test_definitions.py b/specparam/tests/metrics/test_definitions.py
@@ -9,10 +9,21 @@
 
 def test_metrics_library():
 
-    for key, metric in METRICS.items():
-        assert isinstance(metric, Metric)
-        assert metric.label == key
+    for category, collection in METRICS.items():
+        for key, metric in collection.items():
+            assert isinstance(metric, Metric)
+            assert metric.label == category + '_' + key
 
-def test_check_metrics():
+def test_check_metric_definition():
 
-    check_metrics()
+    mdict = {'category' : 'test', 'measure' : 'test',
+             'description' : 'test', 'func' : lambda x: x}
+
+    m1 = check_metric_definition(Metric(**mdict))
+    assert isinstance(m1, Metric)
+
+    m2 = check_metric_definition(mdict)
+    assert isinstance(m2, Metric)
+
+    m3 = check_metric_definition('error_mae')
+    assert isinstance(m3, Metric)