Provided by: libbio-perl-perl_1.6.923-1_all 
NAME
Bio::Map::PositionI - Abstracts the notion of a position having a value in the context of
a marker and a Map
SYNOPSIS
# do not use this module directly
# See Bio::Map::Position for an example of
# implementation.
DESCRIPTION
This object stores one of the postions that a mappable object (e.g. Marker) may have in a
map.
Positions can have non-numeric values or other methods to store the locations, so they
have a method numeric() which does the conversion. numeric() returns the position in a
form that can be compared between other positions of the same type. It is not necessarily
a value suitable for sorting positions (it may be the distance from the previous
position); for that purpose the result of sortable() should be used.
A 'position', in addition to being a single point, can also be an area and so can be
imagined as a range and compared with other positions on the basis of overlap,
intersection etc.
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
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 of the bugs and their
resolution. Bug reports can be submitted via the web:
https://redmine.open-bio.org/projects/bioperl/
AUTHOR - Jason Stajich
Email jason-at-bioperl.org
CONTRIBUTORS
Lincoln Stein, lstein-at-cshl.org Heikki Lehvaslaiho, heikki-at-bioperl-dot-org 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 _
EntityI methods
These are fundamental to coordination of Positions and other entities, so are
implemented at the interface level
get_position_handler
Title : get_position_handler
Usage : my $position_handler = $entity->get_position_handler();
Function: Gets a PositionHandlerI that $entity is registered with.
Returns : Bio::Map::PositionHandlerI object
Args : none
PositionHandlerI-related methods
These are fundamental to coordination of Positions and other entities, so are
implemented at the interface level
map
Title : map
Usage : my $map = $position->map();
$position->map($map);
Function: Get/Set the map the position is in.
Returns : L<Bio::Map::MapI>
Args : none to get
new L<Bio::Map::MapI> to set
element
Title : element
Usage : my $element = $position->element();
$position->element($element);
Function: Get/Set the element the position is for.
Returns : L<Bio::Map::MappableI>
Args : none to get
new L<Bio::Map::MappableI> to set
marker
Title : marker
Function: This is a synonym of the element() method
Status : deprecated, will be removed in the next version
PositionI-specific methods
value
Title : value
Usage : my $pos = $position->value();
Function: Get/Set the value for this position
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.
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
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
RangeI-based methods
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 the length of this position.
Returns : the length of this position
Args : none
strand
Title : strand
Usage : $strand = $position->strand();
Function: Get the strand of this position; it is always 1 since maps to not
have strands.
Returns : 1
Args : none
toString
Title : toString
Usage : print $position->toString(), "\n";
Function: stringifies this range
Returns : a string representation of the range of this Position
Args : optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to have the co-ordinates reported
relative to the thing described by that Relative
RangeI-related methods
These methods work by considering only the values of start() and end(), as modified by
considering every such co-ordinate relative to the start of the map (ie. absolute(1) is
set temporarily during the calculation), or any supplied Relative. For the boolean
methods, when the comparison Position is on the same map as the calling Position, there is
no point supplying a Relative since the answer will be the same as without. Relative is
most useful when comparing Positions on different maps and you have a Relative that
describes some special place on each map like 'the start of the gene', where the actual
start of the gene relative to the start of the map is different for each map.
The methods do not consider maps during their calculations - things on different maps can
overlap/contain/intersect/etc. each other.
The geometrical methods (intersect, union etc.) do things to the geometry of ranges, and
return Bio::Map::PositionI compliant objects or triplets (start, stop, strand) from which
new positions could be built. When a PositionI is made it will have a map transferred to
it if all the arguments shared the same map. If a Relative was supplied the result will
have that same Relative.
Note that the strand-testing args are there for compatibility with the RangeI interface.
They have no meaning when only using PositionI objects since maps do not have strands.
Typically you will just set the argument to undef if you want to supply the argument after
it.
equals
Title : equals
Usage : if ($p1->equals($p2)) {...}
Function: Test whether $p1 has the same start, end, length as $p2.
Returns : true if they are describing the same position (regardless of map)
Args : arg #1 = a Bio::RangeI (eg. a Bio::Map::Position) to compare this
one to (mandatory)
arg #2 = optional strand-testing arg ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore')
arg #3 = optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask if the Positions
equal in terms of their relative position to the thing
described by that Relative
less_than
Title : less_than
Usage : if ($position->less_than($other_position)) {...}
Function: Ask if this Position ends before another starts.
Returns : boolean
Args : arg #1 = a Bio::RangeI (eg. a Bio::Map::Position) to compare this
one to (mandatory)
arg #2 = optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask if the Position is less
in terms of their relative position to the thing described
by that Relative
greater_than
Title : greater_than
Usage : if ($position->greater_than($other_position)) {...}
Function: Ask if this Position starts after another ends.
Returns : boolean
Args : arg #1 = a Bio::RangeI (eg. a Bio::Map::Position) to compare this
one to (mandatory)
arg #2 = optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask if the Position is
greater in terms of their relative position to the thing
described by that Relative
overlaps
Title : overlaps
Usage : if ($p1->overlaps($p2)) {...}
Function: Tests if $p1 overlaps $p2.
Returns : True if the positions overlap (regardless of map), false otherwise
Args : arg #1 = a Bio::RangeI (eg. a Bio::Map::Position) to compare this
one to (mandatory)
arg #2 = optional strand-testing arg ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore')
arg #3 = optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask if the Positions
overlap in terms of their relative position to the thing
described by that Relative
arg #4 = optional minimum percentage length of the overlap before
reporting an overlap exists (default 0)
contains
Title : contains
Usage : if ($p1->contains($p2)) {...}
Function: Tests whether $p1 totally contains $p2.
Returns : true if the argument is totally contained within this position
(regardless of map), false otherwise
Args : arg #1 = a Bio::RangeI (eg. a Bio::Map::Position) to compare this
one to, or scalar number (mandatory)
arg #2 = optional strand-testing arg ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore')
arg #3 = optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask if the Position
is contained in terms of their relative position to the
thing described by that Relative
intersection
Title : intersection
Usage : ($start, $stop, $strand) = $p1->intersection($p2)
($start, $stop, $strand) = Bio::Map::Position->intersection(\@positions);
$mappable = $p1->intersection($p2, undef, $relative);
$mappable = Bio::Map::Position->intersection(\@positions);
Function: gives the range that is contained by all ranges
Returns : undef if they do not overlap, OR
Bio::Map::Mappable object who's positions are the
cross-map-calculated intersection of the input positions on all the
maps that the input positions belong to, OR, in list context, a three
element array (start, end, strand)
Args : arg #1 = [REQUIRED] a Bio::RangeI (eg. a Bio::Map::Position) to
compare this one to, or an array ref of Bio::RangeI
arg #2 = optional strand-testing arg ('strong', 'weak', 'ignore')
arg #3 = optional Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask how the Positions
intersect in terms of their relative position to the thing
described by that Relative
union
Title : union
Usage : ($start, $stop, $strand) = $p1->union($p2);
($start, $stop, $strand) = Bio::Map::Position->union(@positions);
my $mappable = $p1->union($p2);
my $mappable = Bio::Map::Position->union(@positions);
Function: finds the minimal position/range that contains all of the positions
Returns : Bio::Map::Mappable object who's positions are the
cross-map-calculated union of the input positions on all the maps
that the input positions belong to, OR, in list context, a three
element array (start, end, strand)
Args : a Bio::Map::PositionI to compare this one to, or a list of such
OR
a single Bio::Map::PositionI or array ref of such AND a
Bio::Map::RelativeI to ask for the Position's union in terms of their
relative position to the thing described by that Relative
overlap_extent
Title : overlap_extent
Usage : ($a_unique,$common,$b_unique) = $a->overlap_extent($b)
Function: Provides actual amount of overlap between two different
positions
Example :
Returns : array of values containing the length unique to the calling
position, the length common to both, and the length unique to
the argument position
Args : a position
disconnected_ranges
Title : disconnected_ranges
Usage : my @disc_ranges = Bio::Map::Position->disconnected_ranges(@ranges);
Function: Creates the minimal set of positions such that each input position is
fully contained by at least one output position, and none of the
output positions overlap.
Returns : Bio::Map::Mappable with the calculated disconnected ranges
Args : a Bio::Map::PositionI to compare this one to, or a list of such,
OR
a single Bio::Map::PositionI or array ref of such AND a
Bio::Map::RelativeI to consider all Position's co-ordinates in terms
of their relative position to the thing described by that Relative,
AND, optionally, an int for the minimum percentage of overlap that
must be present before considering two ranges to be overlapping
(default 0)