Getting Started
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See Getting BioPerl
Installation
Quick example
use Bio::Seq; use Bio::SeqIO; # create a sequence object of some DNA my $seq = Bio::Seq->new(-id => 'testseq', -seq => 'CATGTAGATAG'); # print out some details about it print "seq is ", $seq->length, " bases long\n"; print "revcom seq is ", $seq->revcom->seq, "\n"; # write it to a file in Fasta format my $out = Bio::SeqIO->new(-file => '>testseq.fsa', -format => 'Fasta'); $out->write_seq($seq);
For more information (for those familiar with Perl) see: Bio::Seq.
For Perl newbies
There are many web resources full of friendly patient folk for biologists new to Perl. While many developers on the BioPerl list are happy to chime in on Perl-specific questions, that list is mainly for questions that relate directly to BioPerl modules, or difficulties/ideas for applying those modules to specific tasks. Since BioPerl is written at a high level in sometimes terse code, the new perler jumping in is apt to stumble. No problem! Just have a look at some of the following:
The Beginner's FAQ
- here you can find excellent links, plus directions for signing up to
The Perl Beginners Newsgroup
- a newsgroup devoted to questions at all levels. Also, at
PerlMonks
one can get extremely sane, erudite, helpful, and patient responses. PerlMonks has perl resources for all user levels.
- (When I google an error message, and see a perlmonks link, that's the one I click first...) --Ed.
When seeking help from PerlMonks (or other resources), you will get better/quicker responses if you read (and follow) Ask questions the smart way before posting.
Also, check out
The #bioperl IRC
Other Tips
One of the best ways to learn any language and make it stay learned is to work through a smarter/more experienced person's code. There are plenty of opportunities for that in the BioPerl distributions. Wondering about that error? Read the error message, which contains the line number in the module that threw it, then open that module and dig in!
Another great resource for seeing how the developers expect
their modules to work are the regression tests, found in the
../t directories of the BioPerl distribution directory (find it
in the
GitHub repository.)
These are just Perl programs; nothing scary about them. Check out the Test::More docs and the Perl Test cheatsheet for further guidance.
Another repos directory of interest is examples, where many many examples of BioPerl module use reside.
And don't forget the many introductory resources on
the BioPerl wiki
- Read the Beginners HOWTO
- Browse the Bioperl Tutorial
- Check out the Scrapbook
- Examine the Class Diagram, if you'd like to know more about the relationships between the modules.
There are many short and simple code snippets in these places. You may even find your work has already been done for you!
A terrific resource for browsing BioPerl modules is
the Deobfuscator
by Dave M.
Other Useful Sites
--Happy Coding
Further reading
- Read the other HOWTOs
- Use the Wiki Search tools to find more information on specific topics.
