[Biopython-dev] Relaxing SeqIO, AlignIO, etc write functions?

[Eric Talevich]

On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 5:41 PM, Peter <biopython at maubp.freeserve.co.uk>wrote:

> On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 11:08 PM, Sebastian Bassi  wrote:
> > On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:45 AM, Peter <biopython at maubp.freeserve.co.uk>
> wrote:
> >> Also, could you clarify if you are in favour of relaxing the
> >> requirement that the write function takes a list/iterator of
> >> records/alignments to allow a single SeqRecord or alignment?
> >
> > Is OK for me to allow a single record instead of a iterable, this
> > change will not break any existing code so it is OK for me.
>
> That sounds like you don't object, but are not strongly in
> favour either.
>
> No-one else has commented (other than Eric and Marshall
> who were in favour).
>
> Maybe it would be prudent to leave it? [Will this suggestion
> provoke any further comments I wonder?]


I know I've already voted, but here's another thought: if we're going to
make this change eventually, it would be nice if the very first release of
Bio.Phylo had the right behavior and retained the same behavior through
later releases. Otherwise we'd have one or more isolated releases where
Phylo.write doesn't handle single trees directly, and when documentation is
updated to track later releases that do handle single trees, that could
cause some confusion for some folks still using Biopython 1.54.

-Eric

>