[Biopython-dev] New Biopython release coming up / Alphabets

[Michael Hoffman]

[Peter]

> The whole Alphabet is something that confused me a little when first
> using BioPython.  I see why a special class for sequences is a nice
> idea, and that handling the different variants of RNA, DNA and proteins
> is a good idea.
>
> But to be honest, I have generally used plain strings in my own
> programs, and meddled with alphabets only when needed (e.g. for
> translating from DNA to protein sequences).

I agree. In general, I think that the alphabet stuff adds unnecessary
complexity to perhaps 95 % of the sort of things I would do with
Biopython. But as it stands I usually use strs myself instead.
-- 
Michael Hoffman <hoffman at ebi.ac.uk>
European Bioinformatics Institute