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HelixTree offers a powerful new Python scripting interface (Figure 1) allowing users to access HelixTree analysis views programmatically as well as add their own user-defined routines to the menu system(s) (Figure 2). Written scripts can also be made available company-wide to all HelixTree users through the use of our Golden Helix Script Server. In this manner, those well versed in genetics and/or statistics can write scripts and make them easily accessible for their colleagues.

Figure 1. Python scripting shell displaying script.

Figure 2. Running a Python script from the HelixTree menu.

The Python scripting capability offers some distinct advantages which will increase your productivity and workflow with HelixTree:

• A Python shell window allows users to develop new techniques while running HelixTree in GUI mode.
• Integration with other analysis packages from within HelixTree allows you to make script calls to HelixTree and other packages, all within the Python programming environment. We currently offer integration with the R and S-PLUS statistical packages. ›› Learn more
• By using Python as HelixTree’s scripting language, your scripts have access to use the more powerful constructs of a complete programming language.
• New analysis techniques can be dynamically added to your private scripts menu or they can be published to a script server for others to use.
• GUI dialogs to collect important parameters can be dynamically created as part of a script.
• You can add data and results from many tools to the project navigator window.
• You can run scripts from the command line without starting HelixTree by executing HelixTree with the -s <script name>.py option.

HelixTree Python scripting architecture