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Summary

Bio::AnnotationI - Annotation interface

Package variables

Included modules

Inherit

Bio::Root::RootI

Synopsis

  # generally you get AnnotationI's from AnnotationCollectionI's

   foreach $key ( $ac->get_all_annotation_keys() ) {
       @values = $ac->get_Annotations($key);
       foreach $value ( @values ) {
          # value is an Bio::AnnotationI, and defines a "as_text" method
          print "Annotation ",$key," stringified value ",$value->as_text,"\n";
          # you can also use a generic hash_tree method for getting 
          # stuff out say into XML format
          $hash_tree = $value->hash_tree();
       }
   }

Description

Interface all annotations must support. There are two things that each
annotation has to support.

  $annotation->as_text()

Annotations have to support an "as_text" method. This should be a
single text string, without newlines representing the annotation,
mainly for human readability. It is not aimed at being able to
store/represent the annotation.
The second method allows annotations to at least attempt to represent
themselves as pure data for storage/display/whatever. The method
hash_tree

   $hash = $annotation->hash_tree();

should return an anonymous hash with "XML-like" formatting. The
formatting is as follows.

  (1) For each key in the hash, if the value is a reference'd array -

      (2) For each element of the array if the value is a object - 
          Assumme the object has the method "hash_tree";
      (3) else if the value is a referene to a hash
          Recurse again from point (1)
      (4) else 
          Assumme the value is a scalar, and handle it directly as text

   (5) else (if not an array) apply rules 2,3 and 4 to value

The XML path in tags is represented by the keys taken in the
hashes. When arrays are encountered they are all present in the path
level of this tag
This is a pretty "natural" representation of an object tree in an XML
style, without forcing everything to inheriet off some super-generic
interface for representing things in the hash.

Methods

Methods description

 Title   : as_text
 Usage   :
 Function: single text string, without newlines representing the
           annotation, mainly for human readability. It is not aimed
           at being able to store/represent the annotation.
 Example :
 Returns : a string
 Args    : none

 Title   : hash_tree
 Usage   :
 Function: should return an anonymous hash with "XML-like" formatting
 Example :
 Returns : a hash reference
 Args    : none

 Title   : tagname
 Usage   : $obj->tagname($newval)
 Function: Get/set the tagname for this annotation value.

           Setting this is optional. If set, it obviates the need to
           provide a tag to Bio::AnnotationCollectionI when adding
           this object. When obtaining an AnnotationI object from the
           collection, the collection will set the value to the tag
           under which it was stored unless the object has a tag
           stored already.

 Example : 
 Returns : value of tagname (a scalar)
 Args    : new value (a scalar, optional)

Methods code

sub as_text {

    shift->throw_not_implemented();

}

sub hash_tree {

    shift->throw_not_implemented();

}

sub tagname {

    shift->throw_not_implemented();
}

1;

}

General documentation

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.

  bioperl-l@bio.perl.org

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://bugzilla.bioperl.org/

Email birney@ebi.ac.uk
Describe contact details here

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