Bio::AnnotationI - Annotation interface # 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(); } } 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.

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. bioperl-l@bio.perl.org

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://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 _

as_text
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

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

tagname
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)