Bio::Ontology::TermI(3)

NAME
Bio::Ontology::TermI - interface for ontology terms

SYNOPSIS
  #get Bio::Ontology::TermI somehow.

  print $term->identifier(), "\n";
  print $term->name(), "\n";
  print $term->definition(), "\n";
  print $term->is_obsolete(), "\n";
  print $term->comment(), "\n";

  foreach my $synonym ( $term->get_synonyms() ) {
      print $synonym, "\n";
  }

DESCRIPTION
This is "dumb" interface for ontology terms providing basic methods (it provides no functionality related to graphs).

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://bioperl.org/wiki/Mailing_lists  - About the mailing lists

  Support
Please direct usage questions or support issues to the mailing list:

bioperl-l@bioperl.org

rather than to the module maintainer directly. Many experienced and reponsive experts will be able look at the problem and quickly address it. Please include a thorough description of the problem with code and data examples if at all possible.

  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 the web:

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

AUTHOR
Christian M. Zmasek

Email: czmasek-at-burnham.org or cmzmasek@yahoo.com

WWW: http://monochrome-effect.net/

Address:

  Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation
  10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive
  San Diego, CA 92121

APPENDIX
The rest of the documentation details each of the object methods.

  identifier
 Title   : identifier
 Usage   : $term->identifier( "0003947" );
           or
           print $term->identifier();
 Function: Set/get for the identifier of this Term.
 Returns : The identifier [scalar].
 Args    : The identifier [scalar] (optional).

  name
 Title   : name
 Usage   : $term->name( "N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase" );
           or
           print $term->name();
 Function: Set/get for the name of this Term.
 Returns : The name [scalar].
 Args    : The name [scalar] (optional).

  definition
 Title   : definition
 Usage   : $term->definition( "Catalysis of ..." );
           or
           print $term->definition();
 Function: Set/get for the definition of this Term.
 Returns : The definition [scalar].
 Args    : The definition [scalar] (optional).

  ontology
 Title   : ontology
 Usage   : $ont = $term->ontology();
           or
           $term->ontology( $ont );
 Function: Get the ontology this term is in.

           An implementation may not permit the value of this
           attribute to be changed once it is set, since that may have
           serious consequences (note that with the ontology in hand
           you can query for all related terms etc).

           Note for implementors: you will almost certainly have to
           take special precaution in order not to create cyclical
           references in memory.

 Returns : The ontology of this Term as a Bio::Ontology::OntologyI
           implementing object.
 Args    : On set, the  ontology of this Term as a Bio::Ontology::OntologyI
           implementing object or a string representing its name.

See Bio::Ontology::OntologyI.

  version
 Title   : version
 Usage   : $term->version( "1.00" );
           or
           print $term->version();
 Function: Set/get for version information.
 Returns : The version [scalar].
 Args    : The version [scalar] (optional).

  is_obsolete
 Title   : is_obsolete
 Usage   : $term->is_obsolete( 1 );
           or
           if ( $term->is_obsolete() )
 Function: Set/get for the obsoleteness of this Term.
 Returns : the obsoleteness [0 or 1].
 Args    : the obsoleteness [0 or 1] (optional).

  comment
 Title   : comment
 Usage   : $term->comment( "Consider the term ..." );
           or
           print $term->comment();
 Function: Set/get for an arbitrary comment about this Term.
 Returns : A comment.
 Args    : A comment (optional).

  get_synonyms
 Title   : get_synonyms
 Usage   : @aliases = $term->get_synonyms();
 Function: Returns a list of aliases of this Term.

           If an implementor of this interface permits modification of
           this array property, the class should define at least
           methods add_synonym() and remove_synonyms(), with obvious
           functionality.

 Returns : A list of aliases [array of [scalar]].
 Args    :

  get_dblinks
 Title   : get_dblinks()
 Usage   : @ds = $term->get_dblinks();
 Function: Returns a list of each dblink of this term.

           If an implementor of this interface permits modification of
           this array property, the class should define at least
           methods add_dblink() and remove_dblinks(), with obvious
           functionality.

 Returns : A list of dblinks [array of [scalars]].
 Args    :
 Note    : This has been deprecated in favor of get_dbxrefs()

  get_dbxrefs
 Title   : get_dbxrefs()
 Usage   : @ds = $term->get_dbxrefs();
 Function: Returns a list of each link for this term.

           If an implementor of this interface permits modification of
           this array property, the class should define at least
           methods add_dbxref() and remove_dbxrefs(), with obvious
           functionality.

 Returns : A list of dblinks.  This can return a mixed 'bag' of scalars and
           L<Bio::Annotation::DBLink> instances, or specific subgroups
           can be returned based on passed arguments
 Args    : implementation-specific

  get_secondary_ids
 Title   : get_secondary_ids
 Usage   : @ids = $term->get_secondary_ids();
 Function: Returns a list of secondary identifiers of this Term.

           Secondary identifiers mostly originate from merging terms,
           or possibly also from splitting terms.

           If an implementor of this interface permits modification of
           this array property, the class should define at least
           methods add_secondary_id() and remove_secondary_ids(), with
           obvious functionality.

 Returns : A list of secondary identifiers [array of [scalar]]
 Args    :

Deprecated methods
Used for looking up the methods that supercedes them.

  category
 Title   : category
 Usage   :
 Function: This method is deprecated. Use ontology() instead. We provide
           an implementation here that preserves backwards compatibility,
           but if you do not have legacy code using it you should not be
           calling this method.
 Example :
 Returns :
 Args    :