diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/adapter.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/adapter.py
index 13e86fd..acbc896 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/adapter.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/adapter.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Base class for adapters
 """
 
+import os
 import sys
 from abc import abstractmethod
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
@@ -101,6 +102,19 @@ class Adapter(BaseModel):
     """Abstract base class for adapters"""
 
     _logger: Optional[Logger] = None
+    _debug: Optional[bool] = None
+
+    @property
+    def debug(self) -> bool:
+        """
+        Whether we are in debug mode, which adds extra metadata in generated elements.
+
+        Set explicitly via ``_debug`` , or else checks for the truthiness of the
+        environment variable ``NWB_LINKML_DEBUG``
+        """
+        if self._debug is None:
+            self._debug = bool(os.environ.get("NWB_LINKML_DEBUG", False))
+        return self._debug
 
     @property
     def logger(self) -> Logger:
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/attribute.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/attribute.py
index ddf6edb..7df7ed7 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/attribute.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/attribute.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from linkml_runtime.linkml_model.meta import SlotDefinition
 from nwb_linkml.adapters.adapter import Adapter, BuildResult, is_1d
 from nwb_linkml.adapters.array import ArrayAdapter
 from nwb_linkml.maps import Map
-from nwb_linkml.maps.dtype import handle_dtype
+from nwb_linkml.maps.dtype import handle_dtype, inlined
 from nwb_schema_language import Attribute
 
 
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class MapScalar(AttributeMap):
             range=handle_dtype(attr.dtype),
             description=attr.doc,
             required=attr.required,
+            inlined=inlined(attr.dtype),
             **cls.handle_defaults(attr),
         )
         return BuildResult(slots=[slot])
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ class MapArray(AttributeMap):
             multivalued=multivalued,
             description=attr.doc,
             required=attr.required,
+            inlined=inlined(attr.dtype),
             **expressions,
             **cls.handle_defaults(attr),
         )
@@ -171,7 +173,10 @@ class AttributeAdapter(Adapter):
         Build the slot definitions, every attribute should have a map.
         """
         map = self.match()
-        return map.apply(self.cls)
+        res = map.apply(self.cls)
+        if self.debug:
+            res = self._amend_debug(res, map)
+        return res
 
     def match(self) -> Optional[Type[AttributeMap]]:
         """
@@ -195,3 +200,13 @@ class AttributeAdapter(Adapter):
             return None
         else:
             return matches[0]
+
+    def _amend_debug(
+        self, res: BuildResult, map: Optional[Type[AttributeMap]] = None
+    ) -> BuildResult:
+        map_name = "None" if map is None else map.__name__
+        for cls in res.classes:
+            cls.annotations["attribute_map"] = {"tag": "attribute_map", "value": map_name}
+        for slot in res.slots:
+            slot.annotations["attribute_map"] = {"tag": "attribute_map", "value": map_name}
+        return res
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/classes.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/classes.py
index be8f336..5542a53 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/classes.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/classes.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 Adapters to linkML classes
 """
 
-import os
 from abc import abstractmethod
 from typing import List, Optional, Type, TypeVar
 
@@ -33,14 +32,6 @@ class ClassAdapter(Adapter):
     cls: TI
     parent: Optional["ClassAdapter"] = None
 
-    _debug: Optional[bool] = None
-
-    @property
-    def debug(self) -> bool:
-        if self._debug is None:
-            self._debug = bool(os.environ.get("NWB_LINKML_DEBUG", False))
-        return self._debug
-
     @field_validator("cls", mode="before")
     @classmethod
     def cast_from_string(cls, value: str | TI) -> TI:
@@ -260,6 +251,7 @@ class ClassAdapter(Adapter):
             name=self._get_slot_name(),
             description=self.cls.doc,
             range=self._get_full_name(),
+            inlined=True,
             **QUANTITY_MAP[self.cls.quantity],
         )
         if self.debug:
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/dataset.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/dataset.py
index ed1818a..d1ee2b4 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/dataset.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/dataset.py
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ class MapScalarAttributes(DatasetMap):
                     name:
                       name: name
                       ifabsent: string(starting_time)
+                      identifier: true
                       range: string
                       required: true
                       equals_string: starting_time
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@ class MapListlike(DatasetMap):
                   attributes:
                     name:
                       name: name
+                      identifier: true
                       range: string
                       required: true
                     value:
@@ -257,6 +259,8 @@ class MapListlike(DatasetMap):
                       range: Image
                       required: true
                       multivalued: true
+                      inlined: true
+                      inlined_as_list: true
                   tree_root: true
 
     """
@@ -386,13 +390,11 @@ class MapArraylike(DatasetMap):
               - ``False``
 
         """
-        dtype = handle_dtype(cls.dtype)
         return (
             cls.name
             and (all([cls.dims, cls.shape]) or cls.neurodata_type_inc == "VectorData")
             and not has_attrs(cls)
             and not is_compound(cls)
-            and dtype in flat_to_linkml
         )
 
     @classmethod
@@ -420,6 +422,7 @@ class MapArraylike(DatasetMap):
                     range=handle_dtype(cls.dtype),
                     description=cls.doc,
                     required=cls.quantity not in ("*", "?"),
+                    inlined=inlined(cls.dtype),
                     **expressions,
                 )
             ]
@@ -484,6 +487,7 @@ class MapArrayLikeAttributes(DatasetMap):
                   attributes:
                     name:
                       name: name
+                      identifier: true
                       range: string
                       required: true
                     resolution:
@@ -598,103 +602,6 @@ class MapClassRange(DatasetMap):
 # DynamicTable special cases
 # --------------------------------------------------
 
-
-class MapVectorClassRange(DatasetMap):
-    """
-    Map a ``VectorData`` class that is a reference to another class as simply
-    a multivalued slot range, rather than an independent class
-    """
-
-    @classmethod
-    def check(c, cls: Dataset) -> bool:
-        """
-        Check that we are a VectorData object without any additional attributes
-        with a dtype that refers to another class
-        """
-        dtype = handle_dtype(cls.dtype)
-        return (
-            cls.neurodata_type_inc == "VectorData"
-            and cls.name
-            and not has_attrs(cls)
-            and not (cls.shape or cls.dims)
-            and not is_compound(cls)
-            and dtype not in flat_to_linkml
-        )
-
-    @classmethod
-    def apply(
-        c, cls: Dataset, res: Optional[BuildResult] = None, name: Optional[str] = None
-    ) -> BuildResult:
-        """
-        Create a slot that replaces the base class just as a list[ClassRef]
-        """
-        this_slot = SlotDefinition(
-            name=cls.name,
-            description=cls.doc,
-            multivalued=True,
-            range=handle_dtype(cls.dtype),
-            required=cls.quantity not in ("*", "?"),
-        )
-        res = BuildResult(slots=[this_slot])
-        return res
-
-
-#
-# class Map1DVector(DatasetMap):
-#     """
-#     ``VectorData`` is subclassed with a name but without dims or attributes,
-#     treat this as a normal 1D array slot that replaces any class that would be built for this
-#
-#     eg. all the datasets in epoch.TimeIntervals:
-#
-#     .. code-block:: yaml
-#
-#         groups:
-#         - neurodata_type_def: TimeIntervals
-#           neurodata_type_inc: DynamicTable
-#           doc: A container for aggregating epoch data and the TimeSeries that each epoch applies
-#             to.
-#           datasets:
-#           - name: start_time
-#             neurodata_type_inc: VectorData
-#             dtype: float32
-#             doc: Start time of epoch, in seconds.
-#
-#     """
-#
-#     @classmethod
-#     def check(c, cls: Dataset) -> bool:
-#         """
-#         Check that we're a 1d VectorData class
-#         """
-#         return (
-#             cls.neurodata_type_inc == "VectorData"
-#             and not cls.dims
-#             and not cls.shape
-#             and not cls.attributes
-#             and not cls.neurodata_type_def
-#             and not is_compound(cls)
-#             and cls.name
-#         )
-#
-#     @classmethod
-#     def apply(
-#         c, cls: Dataset, res: Optional[BuildResult] = None, name: Optional[str] = None
-#     ) -> BuildResult:
-#         """
-#         Return a simple multivalued slot
-#         """
-#         this_slot = SlotDefinition(
-#             name=cls.name,
-#             description=cls.doc,
-#             range=handle_dtype(cls.dtype),
-#             multivalued=True,
-#         )
-#         # No need to make a class for us, so we replace the existing build results
-#         res = BuildResult(slots=[this_slot])
-#         return res
-
-
 class MapNVectors(DatasetMap):
     """
     An unnamed container that indicates an arbitrary quantity of some other neurodata type.
@@ -864,10 +771,7 @@ class DatasetAdapter(ClassAdapter):
             return matches[0]
 
     def _amend_debug(self, res: BuildResult, map: Optional[Type[DatasetMap]] = None) -> BuildResult:
-        if map is None:
-            map_name = "None"
-        else:
-            map_name = map.__name__
+        map_name = "None" if map is None else map.__name__
         for cls in res.classes:
             cls.annotations["dataset_map"] = {"tag": "dataset_map", "value": map_name}
         for slot in res.slots:
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/group.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/group.py
index ba5d004..c42dab7 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/group.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/group.py
@@ -68,11 +68,17 @@ class GroupAdapter(ClassAdapter):
         if not self.cls.links:
             return []
 
+        annotations = [{"tag": "source_type", "value": "link"}]
+
+        if self.debug:
+            annotations.append({"tag": "group_adapter", "value": "link"})
+
         slots = [
             SlotDefinition(
                 name=link.name,
                 any_of=[{"range": link.target_type}, {"range": "string"}],
-                annotations=[{"tag": "source_type", "value": "link"}],
+                annotations=annotations,
+                inlined=True,
                 **QUANTITY_MAP[link.quantity],
             )
             for link in self.cls.links
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/namespaces.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/namespaces.py
index ddacb52..c6abd70 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/namespaces.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/adapters/namespaces.py
@@ -48,7 +48,16 @@ class NamespacesAdapter(Adapter):
 
         need_imports = []
         for needed in ns_adapter.needed_imports.values():
-            need_imports.extend([n for n in needed if n not in ns_adapter.needed_imports])
+            # try to locate imports implied by the namespace schema,
+            # but are either not provided by the current namespace
+            # or are otherwise already provided in `imported` by the loader function
+            need_imports.extend(
+                [
+                    n
+                    for n in needed
+                    if n not in ns_adapter.needed_imports and n not in ns_adapter.versions
+                ]
+            )
 
         for needed in need_imports:
             if needed in DEFAULT_REPOS:
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/generators/pydantic.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/generators/pydantic.py
index adffd45..2bb23e2 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/generators/pydantic.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/generators/pydantic.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import sys
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from pathlib import Path
 from types import ModuleType
-from typing import ClassVar, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Literal
+from typing import Callable, ClassVar, Dict, List, Literal, Optional, Tuple
 
 from linkml.generators import PydanticGenerator
 from linkml.generators.pydanticgen.array import ArrayRepresentation, NumpydanticArray
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ from linkml_runtime.utils.formatutils import remove_empty_items
 from linkml_runtime.utils.schemaview import SchemaView
 
 from nwb_linkml.includes.base import (
-    BASEMODEL_GETITEM,
-    BASEMODEL_COERCE_VALUE,
     BASEMODEL_COERCE_CHILD,
+    BASEMODEL_COERCE_VALUE,
+    BASEMODEL_GETITEM,
 )
 from nwb_linkml.includes.hdmf import (
     DYNAMIC_TABLE_IMPORTS,
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ class AfterGenerateClass:
         Returns:
 
         """
-        if cls.cls.name in "DynamicTable":
+        if cls.cls.name == "DynamicTable":
             cls.cls.bases = ["DynamicTableMixin", "ConfiguredBaseModel"]
 
             if cls.injected_classes is None:
@@ -328,10 +328,7 @@ class AfterGenerateClass:
                         cls.cls.attributes[an_attr].range = "ElementIdentifiers"
                         return cls
 
-                    if an_attr.endswith("_index"):
-                        wrap_cls = "VectorIndex"
-                    else:
-                        wrap_cls = "VectorData"
+                    wrap_cls = "VectorIndex" if an_attr.endswith("_index") else "VectorData"
 
                     cls.cls.attributes[an_attr].range = wrap_preserving_optional(
                         slot_range, wrap_cls
@@ -340,7 +337,9 @@ class AfterGenerateClass:
         return cls
 
     @staticmethod
-    def inject_elementidentifiers(cls: ClassResult, sv: SchemaView, import_method) -> ClassResult:
+    def inject_elementidentifiers(
+        cls: ClassResult, sv: SchemaView, import_method: Callable[[str], Import]
+    ) -> ClassResult:
         """
         Inject ElementIdentifiers into module that define dynamictables -
         needed to handle ID columns
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/base.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/base.py
index 9c7896b..3ecae8c 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/base.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/base.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ BASEMODEL_COERCE_VALUE = """
             except AttributeError:
                 try:
                     return handler(v["value"])
-                except (KeyError, TypeError):
+                except (IndexError, KeyError, TypeError):
                     raise e1
 """
 
@@ -37,8 +37,13 @@ BASEMODEL_COERCE_CHILD = """
         \"\"\"Recast parent classes into child classes\"\"\"
         if isinstance(v, BaseModel):
             annotation = cls.model_fields[info.field_name].annotation
-            annotation = annotation.__args__[0] if hasattr(annotation, "__args__") else annotation
-            if issubclass(annotation, type(v)) and annotation is not type(v):
-                v = annotation(**{**v.__dict__, **v.__pydantic_extra__})
+            while hasattr(annotation, "__args__"):
+                annotation = annotation.__args__[0]
+            try:
+                if issubclass(annotation, type(v)) and annotation is not type(v):
+                    v = annotation(**{**v.__dict__, **v.__pydantic_extra__})
+            except TypeError:
+                # fine, annotation is a non-class type like a TypeVar
+                pass
         return v
 """
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/hdmf.py b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/hdmf.py
index 278f133..19b8848 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/hdmf.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/src/nwb_linkml/includes/hdmf.py
@@ -288,14 +288,11 @@ class DynamicTableMixin(BaseModel):
                     continue
                 if not isinstance(val, (VectorData, VectorIndex)):
                     try:
-                        if key.endswith("_index"):
-                            to_cast = VectorIndex
-                        else:
-                            to_cast = VectorData
+                        to_cast = VectorIndex if key.endswith("_index") else VectorData
                         if isinstance(val, dict):
                             model[key] = to_cast(**val)
                         else:
-                            model[key] = VectorIndex(name=key, description="", value=val)
+                            model[key] = to_cast(name=key, description="", value=val)
                     except ValidationError as e:  # pragma: no cover
                         raise ValidationError.from_exception_data(
                             title=f"field {key} cannot be cast to VectorData from {val}",
@@ -388,6 +385,11 @@ class VectorDataMixin(BaseModel, Generic[T]):
     # redefined in `VectorData`, but included here for testing and type checking
     value: Optional[T] = None
 
+    def __init__(self, value: Optional[T] = None, **kwargs):
+        if value is not None and "value" not in kwargs:
+            kwargs["value"] = value
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+
     def __getitem__(self, item: Union[str, int, slice, Tuple[Union[str, int, slice], ...]]) -> Any:
         if self._index:
             # Following hdmf, VectorIndex is the thing that knows how to do the slicing
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_adapters/test_adapter_classes.py b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_adapters/test_adapter_classes.py
index ee6e7f6..48fe603 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_adapters/test_adapter_classes.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_adapters/test_adapter_classes.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def test_name_slot():
     assert slot.name == "name"
     assert slot.required
     assert slot.range == "string"
-    assert slot.identifier is None
+    assert slot.identifier
     assert slot.ifabsent is None
     assert slot.equals_string is None
 
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def test_name_slot():
     assert slot.name == "name"
     assert slot.required
     assert slot.range == "string"
-    assert slot.identifier is None
+    assert slot.identifier
     assert slot.ifabsent == "string(FixedName)"
     assert slot.equals_string == "FixedName"
 
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_includes/test_hdmf.py b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_includes/test_hdmf.py
index d50258c..7868b0b 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_includes/test_hdmf.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_includes/test_hdmf.py
@@ -284,14 +284,14 @@ def test_dynamictable_assert_equal_length():
         "existing_col": np.arange(10),
         "new_col_1": hdmf.VectorData(value=np.arange(11)),
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="Columns are not of equal length"):
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="columns are not of equal length"):
         _ = MyDT(**cols)
 
     cols = {
         "existing_col": np.arange(11),
         "new_col_1": hdmf.VectorData(value=np.arange(10)),
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="Columns are not of equal length"):
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="columns are not of equal length"):
         _ = MyDT(**cols)
 
     # wrong lengths are fine as long as the index is good
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ def test_dynamictable_assert_equal_length():
         "new_col_1": hdmf.VectorData(value=np.arange(100)),
         "new_col_1_index": hdmf.VectorIndex(value=np.arange(0, 100, 5) + 5),
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="Columns are not of equal length"):
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="columns are not of equal length"):
         _ = MyDT(**cols)
 
 
diff --git a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_io/test_io_nwb.py b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_io/test_io_nwb.py
index d2c5d73..f5fff62 100644
--- a/nwb_linkml/tests/test_io/test_io_nwb.py
+++ b/nwb_linkml/tests/test_io/test_io_nwb.py
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ from nwb_linkml.io.hdf5 import HDF5IO
 def test_read_from_nwbfile(nwb_file):
     """
     Read data from a pynwb HDF5 NWB file
+
+    Placeholder that just ensures that reads work and all pydantic models validate,
+    testing of correctness of read will happen elsewhere.
     """
     res = HDF5IO(nwb_file).read()
-    res.model_dump_json()
 
 
 def test_read_from_yaml(nwb_file):