Bio::Ontology::PathI - Interface for a path between ontology terms

    # see documentation of methods and an implementation, e.g.,
    # Bio::Ontology::Path

This is the minimal interface for a path between two terms in an ontology. Ontology engines may use this.

Essentially this is a very thin extension of the Bio::Ontology::RelationshipI interface. It basically adds an attribute distance(). For a RelationshipI, you can think of distance as equal to zero (subject == object) or 1 (subject != object).

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The rest of the documentation details each of the object methods. Internal methods are usually preceded with a _

 Title   : distance
 Usage   : $obj->distance($newval)
 Function: Get (and set if the implementation allows it) the distance
           between the two terms connected by this path.

 Example : 
 Returns : value of distance (a scalar)
 Args    : on set, new value (a scalar or undef, optional)

 Title   : subject_term
 Usage   : $subj = $rel->subject_term();
 Function: Set/get for the subject term of this Relationship.

           The common convention for ontologies is to express
           relationships between terms as triples (subject, predicate,
           object).

 Returns : The subject term [Bio::Ontology::TermI].
 Args    : 

 Title   : object_term
 Usage   : $object = $rel->object_term();
 Function: Set/get for the object term of this Relationship.

           The common convention for ontologies is to express
           relationships between terms as triples (subject, predicate,
           object).

 Returns : The object term [Bio::Ontology::TermI].
 Args    : 

 Title   : predicate_term
 Usage   : $type = $rel->predicate_term();
 Function: Set/get for the predicate of this relationship.

           For a path the predicate (relationship type) is defined as
           the greatest common denominator of all predicates
           (relationship types) encountered along the path. I.e., if
           predicate A is-a predicate B, the greatest common
           denominator for a path containing both predicates A and B is B

 Returns : The predicate term [Bio::Ontology::TermI].
 Args    : 

 Title   : ontology
 Usage   : $ont = $obj->ontology()
 Function: Get the ontology that defined this relationship.
 Example : 
 Returns : an object implementing Bio::Ontology::OntologyI
 Args    : 

See Bio::Ontology::OntologyI.