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ABSTRACT: Background
Scripting languages such as Python are ideally suited to common programming tasks in cheminformatics such as data analysis and parsing information from files. However, for reasons of efficiency, cheminformatics toolkits such as the OpenBabel toolkit are often implemented in compiled languages such as C++. We describe Pybel, a Python module that provides access to the OpenBabel toolkit.Results
Pybel wraps the direct toolkit bindings to simplify common tasks such as reading and writing molecular files and calculating fingerprints. Extensive use is made of Python iterators to simplify loops such as that over all the molecules in a file. A Pybel Molecule can be easily interconverted to an OpenBabel OBMol to access those methods or attributes not wrapped by Pybel.Conclusion
Pybel allows cheminformaticians to rapidly develop Python scripts that manipulate chemical information. It is open source, available cross-platform, and offers the power of the OpenBabel toolkit to Python programmers.
SUBMITTER: O'Boyle NM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2270842 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
O'Boyle Noel M NM Morley Chris C Hutchison Geoffrey R GR
Chemistry Central journal 20080309
<h4>Background</h4>Scripting languages such as Python are ideally suited to common programming tasks in cheminformatics such as data analysis and parsing information from files. However, for reasons of efficiency, cheminformatics toolkits such as the OpenBabel toolkit are often implemented in compiled languages such as C++. We describe Pybel, a Python module that provides access to the OpenBabel toolkit.<h4>Results</h4>Pybel wraps the direct toolkit bindings to simplify common tasks such as read ...[more]