/ 
bioperl-1.4
/ Bio::RangeI

NAME

Bio::RangeI - Range interface

SYNOPSIS

#Do not run this module directly

DESCRIPTION

This provides a standard BioPerl range interface that should be implemented by any object that wants to be treated as a range. This serves purely as an abstract base class for implementers and can not be instantiated.

Ranges are modeled as having (start, end, length, strand). They use Bio-coordinates - all points >= start and <= end are within the range. End is always greater-than or equal-to start, and length is greather than or equal to 1. The behaviour of a range is undefined if ranges with negative numbers or zero are used.

So, in summary:

length = end - start + 1
end >= start
strand = (-1 | 0 | +1)

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.

bioperl-l@bioperl.org                         - General 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://bugzilla.bioperl.org/

AUTHOR - Heikki Lehvaslaiho

Email: heikki@ebi.ac.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Juha Muilu (muilu@ebi.ac.uk)

APPENDIX

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

Abstract methods

These methods must be implemented in all subclasses.

start

Title   : start
Usage   : $start = $range->start();
Function: get/set the start of this range
Returns : the start of this range
Args    : optionaly allows the start to be set
         using $range->start($start)

end

Title   : end
Usage   : $end = $range->end();
Function: get/set the end of this range
Returns : the end of this range
Args    : optionaly allows the end to be set
          using $range->end($end)

length

Title   : length
Usage   : $length = $range->length();
Function: get/set the length of this range
Returns : the length of this range
Args    : optionaly allows the length to be set
           using $range->length($length)

strand

Title   : strand
Usage   : $strand = $range->strand();
Function: get/set the strand of this range
Returns : the strandidness (-1, 0, +1)
Args    : optionaly allows the strand to be set
          using $range->strand($strand)

Boolean Methods

These methods return true or false. They throw an error if start and end are not defined.

$range->overlaps($otherRange) && print "Ranges overlap\n";

overlaps

Title   : overlaps
Usage   : if($r1->overlaps($r2)) { do stuff }
Function: tests if $r2 overlaps $r1
Args    : arg #1 = a range to compare this one to (mandatory)
          arg #2 = strand option ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore') (optional)
Returns : true if the ranges overlap, false otherwise

contains

  Title   : contains
  Usage   : if($r1->contains($r2) { do stuff }
  Function: tests whether $r1 totally contains $r2 
  Args    : arg #1 = a range to compare this one to (mandatory)
	             alternatively, integer scalar to test
            arg #2 = strand option ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore') (optional)
  Returns : true if the argument is totaly contained within this range

equals

Title   : equals
Usage   : if($r1->equals($r2))
Function: test whether $r1 has the same start, end, length as $r2
Args    : a range to test for equality
Returns : true if they are describing the same range

Geometrical methods

These methods do things to the geometry of ranges, and return Bio::RangeI compliant objects or triplets (start, stop, strand) from which new ranges could be built.

intersection

Title   : intersection
Usage   : ($start, $stop, $strand) = $r1->intersection($r2)
          my $containing_range = $r1->intersection($r2)
Function: gives the range that is contained by both ranges
Args    : arg #1 = a range to compare this one to (mandatory)
          arg #2 = strand option ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore') (optional)
Returns : undef if they do not overlap, 
          or the range that they do overlap 
          (in an objectlike the calling one, OR a three element array)

union

Title   : union
 Usage   : ($start, $stop, $strand) = $r1->union($r2);
         : ($start, $stop, $strand) = Bio::RangeI->union(@ranges);
           my $newrange = Bio::RangeI->union(@ranges);
 Function: finds the minimal range that contains all of the ranges
 Args    : a range or list of ranges to find the union of
 Returns : the range object containing all of the ranges
           (in an objectlike the calling one, OR a three element array)

overlap_extent

Title   : overlap_extent
Usage   : ($a_unique,$common,$b_unique) = $a->overlap_extent($b)
Function: Provides actual amount of overlap between two different
          ranges.
Example :
Returns : array of values for 
          - the amount unique to a
          - the amount common to both
          - the amount unique to b
Args    : a range

disconnected_ranges

Title   : disconnected_ranges
Usage   : my @disc_ranges = Bio::Range->disconnected_ranges(@ranges);
Function: finds the minimal set of ranges such that each input range
          is fully contained by at least one output range, and none of
          the output ranges overlap
Args    : a list of ranges
Returns : a list of objects of the same type as the input (conforms to RangeI)