NAME

Bio::Phylo::Taxa - An object-oriented module for managing taxa.

SYNOPSIS

 use Bio::Phylo::Taxa;
 use Bio::Phylo::Taxa::Taxon;
 
 # A mesquite-style default
 # taxa block for 10 taxa.
 my $taxa  = Bio::Phylo::Taxa->new;
 for my $i ( 1 .. 10 ) {
     my $taxon = Bio::Phylo::Taxa::Taxon->new(
         '-name' => 'taxon_' . $i,
     );
     $taxa->insert( $taxon );
 }

DESCRIPTION

The Bio::Phylo::Taxa object models a set of operational taxonomic units. The object subclasses the Bio::Phylo::Listable object, and so the filtering methods of that class are available.

A taxa object can link to multiple forest and matrix objects.

METHODS

CONSTRUCTOR

new()

 Type    : Constructor
 Title   : new
 Usage   : my $taxa = Bio::Phylo::Taxa->new;
 Function: Instantiates a Bio::Phylo::Taxa object.
 Returns : A Bio::Phylo::Taxa object.
 Args    : none.

MUTATORS

set_forest()

 Type    : Mutator
 Title   : set_forest
 Usage   : $taxa->set_forest( $forest );
 Function: Associates forest with the 
           invocant taxa object (i.e. 
           creates reference).
 Returns : Modified object.
 Args    : A Bio::Phylo::Forest object 
 Comments: A taxa object can link to multiple 
           forest and matrix objects.

set_matrix()

 Type    : Mutator
 Title   : set_matrix
 Usage   : $taxa->set_matrix($matrix);
 Function: Associates matrix with the 
           invocant taxa object (i.e. 
           creates reference).
 Returns : Modified object.
 Args    : A Bio::Phylo::Matrices::Matrix object
 Comments: A taxa object can link to multiple 
           forest and matrix objects. 

unset_forest()

 Type    : Mutator
 Title   : unset_forest
 Usage   : $taxa->unset_forest($forest);
 Function: Disassociates forest from the 
           invocant taxa object (i.e. 
           removes reference).
 Returns : Modified object.
 Args    : A Bio::Phylo::Forest object

unset_matrix()

 Type    : Mutator
 Title   : unset_matrix
 Usage   : $taxa->unset_matrix($matrix);
 Function: Disassociates matrix from the 
           invocant taxa object (i.e. 
           removes reference).
 Returns : Modified object.
 Args    : A Bio::Phylo::Matrices::Matrix object

ACCESSORS

get_forests()

 Type    : Accessor
 Title   : get_forests
 Usage   : @forests = @{ $taxa->get_forests };
 Function: Retrieves forests associated 
           with the current taxa object.
 Returns : An ARRAY reference of 
           Bio::Phylo::Forest objects.
 Args    : None.
 

get_matrices()

 Type    : Accessor
 Title   : get_matrices
 Usage   : @matrices = @{ $taxa->get_matrices };
 Function: Retrieves matrices associated 
           with the current taxa object.
 Returns : An ARRAY reference of 
           Bio::Phylo::Matrices::Matrix objects.
 Args    : None.

get_ntax()

 Type    : Accessor
 Title   : get_ntax
 Usage   : my $ntax = $taxa->get_ntax;
 Function: Retrieves the number of taxa for the invocant.
 Returns : INT
 Args    : None.
 Comments:

METHODS

merge_by_name()

 Type    : Method
 Title   : merge_by_name
 Usage   : $taxa->merge_by_name($other_taxa);
 Function: Merges two taxa objects such that 
           internally different taxon objects 
           with the same name become a single
           object with the combined references 
           to datum objects and node objects 
           contained by the two.           
 Returns : A merged Bio::Phylo::Taxa object.
 Args    : A Bio::Phylo::Taxa object.

DESTRUCTOR

DESTROY()

 Type    : Destructor
 Title   : DESTROY
 Usage   : $phylo->DESTROY
 Function: Destroys Phylo object
 Alias   :
 Returns : TRUE
 Args    : none
 Comments: You don't really need this, 
           it is called automatically when
           the object goes out of scope.

SEE ALSO

Bio::Phylo::Listable

The Bio::Phylo::Taxa object inherits from the Bio::Phylo::Listable object. Look there for more methods applicable to the taxa object.

Bio::Phylo::Manual

Also see the manual: Bio::Phylo::Manual.

FORUM

CPAN hosts a discussion forum for Bio::Phylo. If you have trouble using this module the discussion forum is a good place to start posting questions (NOT bug reports, see below): http://www.cpanforum.com/dist/Bio-Phylo

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-bio-phylo@rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Bio-Phylo. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes. Be sure to include the following in your request or comment, so that I know what version you're using:

$Id: Taxa.pm 1721 2006-07-20 03:43:06Z rvosa $

AUTHOR

Rutger Vos,

email: rvosa@sfu.ca

web page: http://www.sfu.ca/~rvosa/

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Jason Stajich for many ideas borrowed from BioPerl http://www.bioperl.org, and CIPRES http://www.phylo.org and FAB* http://www.sfu.ca/~fabstar for comments and requests.

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

Copyright 2005 Rutger Vos, All Rights Reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

cpanm Bio::Phylo

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Bio::Phylo