/ 
bioperl-1.5.2_100
/ Bio::Map::Position

NAME

Bio::Map::Position - A single position of a Marker, or the range over which that marker lies, in a Map

SYNOPSIS

    use Bio::Map::Position;
    my $position = new Bio::Map::Position(-map => $map, 
					  -element => $marker,
					  -value => 100
					  );

	my $position_with_range = new Bio::Map::Position(-map => $map, 
					  -element => $marker,
					  -start => 100,
					  -length => 10
					  );

DESCRIPTION

This object is an implementation of the PositionI interface that handles the specific values of a position. This allows a map element (e.g. Marker) to have multiple positions within a map and still be treated as a single entity.

This handles the concept of a relative map in which the order of elements and the distance between them is known, but does not directly handle the case when distances are unknown - in that case arbitrary values must be assigned for position values.

No units are assumed here - units are handled by context of which Map a position is placed in or the subclass of this Position.

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 the Bioperl mailing list. Your participation is much appreciated.

bioperl-l@bioperl.org                  - General discussion
http://bioperl.org/wiki/Mailing_lists  - About the mailing lists

Reporting Bugs

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

http://bugzilla.open-bio.org/

AUTHOR - Jason Stajich

Email jason@bioperl.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Lincoln Stein, lstein@cshl.org Heikki Lehvaslaiho, heikki-at-bioperl-dot-org Chad Matsalla, bioinformatics1@dieselwurks.com Sendu Bala, bix@sendu.me.uk

APPENDIX

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

new

Title   : new
Usage   : my $obj = new Bio::Map::Position();
Function: Builds a new Bio::Map::Position object 
Returns : Bio::Map::Position
Args    : -map      => Bio::Map::MapI object
          -element  => Bio::Map::MappableI object
          -relative => Bio::Map::RelativeI object

          * If this position has no range, or if a single value can describe
            the range *
          -value => scalar             : something that describes the single
                                         point position or range of this
                                         Position, most likely an int

          * Or if this position has a range, at least two of *
          -start => int                : value of the start co-ordinate
          -end => int                  : value of the end co-ordinate
          -length => int               : length of the range

relative

Title   : relative
Usage   : my $relative = $position->relative();
          $position->relative($relative);
Function: Get/set the thing this Position's coordinates (numerical(), start(),
          end()) are relative to, as described by a Relative object.
Returns : Bio::Map::RelativeI (default is one describing "relative to the
          start of the Position's map")
Args    : none to get, OR
          Bio::Map::RelativeI to set

absolute

Title   : absolute
Usage   : my $absolute = $position->absolute();
          $position->absolute($absolute);
Function: Get/set how this Position's co-ordinates (numerical(), start(),
          end()) are reported. When absolute is off, co-ordinates are
          relative to the thing described by relative(). Ie. the value
          returned by start() will be the same as the value you set start()
          to. When absolute is on, co-ordinates are converted to be relative
          to the start of the map.

          So if relative() currently points to a Relative object describing
          "relative to another position which is 100 bp from the start of
          the map", this Position's start() had been set to 50 and absolute()
          returns 1, $position->start() will return 150. If absolute() returns
          0 in the same situation, $position->start() would return 50.

Returns : boolean (default 0)
Args    : none to get, OR
          boolean to set

value

Title   : value
Usage   : my $pos = $position->value;
Function: Get/Set the value for this postion
Returns : scalar, value
Args    : [optional] new value to set

numeric

Title   : numeric
Usage   : my $num = $position->numeric;
Function: Read-only method that is guaranteed to return a numeric 
          representation of the start of this position. 
Returns : scalar numeric
Args    : none to get the co-ordinate normally (see absolute() method), OR
          Bio::Map::RelativeI to get the co-ordinate converted to be
          relative to what this Relative describes.

start

Title   : start
Usage   : my $start = $position->start();
          $position->start($start);
Function: Get/set the start co-ordinate of this position.
Returns : the start of this position
Args    : scalar numeric to set, OR
          none to get the co-ordinate normally (see absolute() method), OR
          Bio::Map::RelativeI to get the co-ordinate converted to be
          relative to what this Relative describes.

end

Title   : end
Usage   : my $end = $position->end();
          $position->end($end);
Function: Get/set the end co-ordinate of this position.
Returns : the end of this position
Args    : scalar numeric to set, OR
          none to get the co-ordinate normally (see absolute() method), OR
          Bio::Map::RelativeI to get the co-ordinate converted to be
          relative to what this Relative describes.

length

Title   : length
Usage   : $length = $position->length();
Function: Get/set the length of this position's range, changing the end() if
          necessary. Getting and even setting the length will fail if both
          start() and end() are not already defined.
Returns : the length of this range
Args    : none to get, OR scalar numeric (>0) to set.

sortable

Title   : sortable
Usage   : my $num = $position->sortable();
Function: Read-only method that is guaranteed to return a value suitable
          for correctly sorting this kind of position amongst other positions
          of the same kind on the same map. Note that sorting different kinds
          of position together is unlikely to give sane results.
Returns : numeric
Args    : none

toString

Title   : toString
Usage   : print $position->toString(), "\n";
Function: stringifies this range
Returns : a string representation of the range of this Position
Args    : optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to have the co-ordinates reported
          relative to the thing described by that Relative

absolute_relative

Title   : absolute_relative
Usage   : my $rel = $position->absolute_relative();
Function: Get a relative describing the start of the map. This is useful for
          supplying to the coordinate methods (start(), end() etc.) to get
          the temporary effect of having set absolute(1).
Returns : Bio::Map::Relative
Args    : none