[BioRuby] [GSoC][NeXML and RDF API] Tree with Multiple rootings.

[Anurag Priyam]

Hello all,

NeXML allows for trees with multiple rootings. In the NeXML lib trees are
represented by Bio::NeXML::Tree which inherits from Bio::Tree. This allows
for the usage of the excellent Bio::Tree framework for manipulating NeXML
trees. However, Bio::Tree class supports only one root node.

There are a couple of functions that require the presence of a root node:
parent, children, descendants, ancestors, lowest_common_ancestor. Now, these
functions can take a root node as a parameter. So it is possible to extend
the current framework to work with trees with multiple root nodes.

Though this may not be required, a possibility is to add the multiple root
functionality to Bio::Tree class itself. Currently, I am adding multiple
root support to Bio::NeXML::Tree class. If need be we can move the
functionality to Bio::Tree.

Anything?

-- 
Anurag Priyam,
2nd Year Undergraduate,
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
IIT Kharagpur.
+91-9775550642