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NAME

Bio::PrimarySeqI - Interface definition for a Bio::PrimarySeq

SYNOPSIS

    # get a Bio::PrimarySeqI compliant object somehow

    # to test this is a seq object

    $obj->isa("Bio::PrimarySeqI") || $obj->throw("$obj does not implement the Bio::PrimarySeqI interface");

    # accessors

    $string    = $obj->seq();
    $substring = $obj->subseq(12,50);
    $display   = $obj->display_id(); # for human display
    $id        = $obj->primary_id(); # unique id for this object, implementation defined
    $unique_key= $obj->accession_number(); 
                       # unique biological id
    
    # object manipulation
   
    eval {
        $rev    = $obj->revcom();
    };
    if( $@ ) {
        $obj->throw("Could not reverse complement. Probably not DNA. Actual exception\n$@\n");
    }

    $trunc = $obj->trunc(12,50);
    
    # $rev and $trunc are Bio::PrimaySeqI compliant objects

DESCRIPTION

This object defines an abstract interface to basic sequence information. PrimarySeq is an object just for the sequence and its name(s), nothing more. Seq is the larger object complete with features. There is a pure perl implementation of this in Bio::PrimaySeq. If you just want to use Bio::PrimaySeq objects, then please read that module first. This module defines the interface, and is of more interest to people who want to wrap their own Perl Objects/RDBs/FileSystems etc in way that they "are" bioperl sequence objects, even though it is not using Perl to store the sequence etc.

This interface defines what bioperl consideres necessary to "be" a sequence, without providing an implementation of this. (An implementation is provided in Bio::PrimaySeq). If you want to provide a Bio::PrimarySeq 'compliant' object which in fact wraps another object/database/out-of-perl experience, then this is the correct thing to wrap, generally by providing a wrapper class which would inheriet from your object and this Bio::PrimaySeqI interface. The wrapper class then would have methods lists in the "Implementation Specific Functions" which would provide these methods for your object.

FEEDBACK

Mailing Lists

User feedback is an integral part of the evolution of this and other Bioperl modules. Send your comments and suggestions preferably to one of the Bioperl mailing lists. Your participation is much appreciated.

  vsns-bcd-perl@lists.uni-bielefeld.de          - General discussion
  vsns-bcd-perl-guts@lists.uni-bielefeld.de     - Technically-oriented discussion
  http://bio.perl.org/MailList.html             - About the mailing lists

Reporting Bugs

Report bugs to the Bioperl bug tracking system to help us keep track the bugs and their resolution. Bug reports can be submitted via email or the web:

  bioperl-bugs@bio.perl.org
  http://bio.perl.org/bioperl-bugs/

AUTHOR - Ewan Birney

Email birney@sanger.ac.uk

Describe contact details here

APPENDIX

The rest of the documentation details each of the object methods. Internal methods are usually preceded with a _

Implementation Specific Functions

These functions are the ones that a specific implementation must define.

seq

 Title   : seq
 Usage   : $string    = $obj->seq()
 Function: Returns the sequence as a string of letters. The
           case of the letters is left up to the implementer.
           Suggested cases are upper case for proteins and lower case for
           DNA sequence (IUPAC standard),
           but implementations are suggested to keep an open mind about
           case (some users... want mixed case!)
 Returns : A scalar

subseq

 Title   : subseq
 Usage   : $substring = $obj->subseq(10,40);
 Function: returns the subseq from start to end, where the first base
           is 1 and the number is inclusive, ie 1-2 are the first two
           bases of the sequence

           Start cannot be larger than end but can be equal

 Returns : a string
 Args    :

display_id

 Title   : display_id
 Usage   : $id_string = $obj->display_id();
 Function: returns the display id, aka the common name of the Sequence object.

           The semantics of this is that it is the most likely string
           to be used as an identifier of the sequence, and likely to
           have "human" readability.  The id is equivalent to the ID
           field of the GenBank/EMBL databanks and the id field of the
           Swissprot/sptrembl database. In fasta format, the >(\S+) is
           presumed to be the id, though some people overload the id
           to embed other information. Bioperl does not use any
           embedded information in the ID field, and people are
           encouraged to use other mechanisms (accession field for
           example, or extending the sequence object) to solve this.

           Notice that $seq->id() maps to this function, mainly for 
           legacy/convience issues
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None

accession_number

 Title   : accession_number
 Usage   : $unique_biological_key = $obj->accession_number;
 Function: Returns the unique biological id for a sequence, commonly
           called the accession_number. For sequences from established
           databases, the implementors should try to use the correct
           accession number. Notice that primary_id() provides the
           unique id for the implemetation, allowing multiple objects
           to have the same accession number in a particular implementation.

           For sequences with no accession number, this method should return
           "unknown".
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None

primary_id

 Title   : primary_id
 Usage   : $unique_implementation_key = $obj->primary_id;
 Function: Returns the unique id for this object in this
           implementation. This allows implementations to manage
           their own object ids in a way the implementaiton can control
           clients can expect one id to map to one object.

           For sequences with no accession number, this method should return
           a stringified memory location.
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None

can_call_new

 Title   : can_call_new
 Usage   : if( $obj->can_call_new ) {
             $newobj = $obj->new( %param );
         }
 Function: can_call_new returns 1 or 0 depending
           on whether an implementation allows new
           constructor to be called. If a new constructor
           is allowed, then it should take the followed hashed
           constructor list.

           $myobject->new( -seq => $sequence_as_string,
                           -display_id  => $id
                           -accession_number => $accession
                           -moltype => 'dna',
                           );
 Example :
 Returns : 1 or 0
 Args    :

moltype

 Title   : moltype
 Usage   : if( $obj->moltype eq 'dna' ) { /Do Something/ }
 Function: Returns the type of sequence being one of 
           'dna', 'rna' or 'protein'. This is case sensitive.

           This is not called <type> because this would cause
           upgrade problems from the 0.5 and earlier Seq objects.
           
 Returns : a string either 'dna','rna','protein'. NB - the object must
           make a call of the type - if there is no type specified it
           has to guess.
 Args    : none

Optional Implementation Functions

The following functions rely on the above functions. A implementing class does not need to provide these functions, as they will be provided by this class, but is free to override these functions.

All these functions are type of object constructor, which use the $obj->can_call_new() to see whether the new object should be made with the current implementation. If this is not possible, then they attempt a run-time loading of the Bio::PrimarySeq class which is then used to make the new objects.

Implementors which really want to control how objects are created (eg, for object persistence over a database, or objects in a CORBA framework), they are encouraged to override these methods

revcom

 Title   : revcom
 Usage   : $rev = $seq->revcom()
 Function: Produces a new Bio::PrimarySeqI implementing object which
           is the reversed complement of the sequence. For protein
           sequences this throws an exception of "Sequence is a protein. Cannot revcom"

           The id is the same id as the orginal sequence, and the accession number
           is also indentical. If someone wants to track that this sequence has be
           reversed, it needs to define its own extensions

           To do an inplace edit of an object you can go:
   
           $seq = $seq->revcom();

           This of course, causes Perl to handle the garbage collection of the old
           object, but it is roughly speaking as efficient as an inplace edit.

 Returns : A new (fresh) Bio::PrimarySeqI object
 Args    : none

trunc

 Title   : trunc
 Usage   : $subseq = $myseq->trunc(10,100);
 Function: Provides a truncation of a sequence,
           
 Example :
 Returns : a fresh Bio::PrimarySeqI implementing object
 Args    :

translate

 Title   : translate
 Usage   : $protein_seq_obj = $dna_seq_obj->translate
 Function: 

           Provides the translation of the DNA sequence
           using full IUPAC ambiguities in DNA/RNA and amino acid codes.

           The resulting translation is identical to EMBL/TREMBL database 
           translations.

 Returns : A Bio::PrimarySeqI implementing object
 Args    : character for terminator (optional) defaults to '*'
           character for unknown amino acid (optional) defaults to 'X'
           frame (optional) valid values 0, 1, 3, defaults to 0
           codon table id (optional) defaults to 1

translate_old

 Title   : translate_old
 Usage   : $protein_seq_obj = $dna_seq_obj->translate_old
 Function: Provides the translation of the DNA sequence

 Returns : A Bio::PrimarySeqI implementing object
 Args    : character for unknown amino acid (optional),
           frame (optional)

 EB: this function is badly written and needs an overhaul

 HL: delete this method when confident that the new translate works!

id

 Title   : id
 Usage   : $id = $seq->id()
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

length

 Title   : length
 Usage   : $len = $seq->length()
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

Methods for Backward Compatibility

These methods are here for backward compatibility with the old, 0.5 Seq objects. They all throw warnings that someone is using a deprecated method, and may eventually be removed completely from this object. However, they are important to ease the transition from the old system.

str

 Title   : str
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

ary

 Title   : ary
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

getseq

 Title   : getseq
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

setseq

 Title   : setseq
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

type

 Title   : type
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns :
 Args    :

seq_len

 Title   : seq_len
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

out_fasta

 Title   : out_fasta
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :

 Too many people are going call this function for me not to put it in 

GCG_checksum

 Title     : GCG_checksum
 Usage     : $myseq->GCG_checksum;
 Function  : returns a gcg checksum for the sequence
 Example   : 
 Returns   : 
 Argument  : none

Private functions

These are some private functions for the PrimarySeqI interface. You do not need to implement these functions

_attempt_to_load_Seq

 Title   : _attempt_to_load_Seq
 Usage   :
 Function:
 Example :
 Returns : 
 Args    :