How does Python compare with RealBasic?

[Andrew Dalke]

Markus Winter:
> I've just started programming in RealBasic and now came across Python
> (mainly because a molecular visualisation app I'm interested in is using
> Python as it's script language).

Hmmm...  That would likely be PyMol, Pmv, Vida, VMD, or Chimera.
I think those are the most widely known visualization programs using Python.
Compared to none in RB (or Perl. ;)

I haven't heard of anyone using RealBasic for any sequence analysis
work.  There are some which use VisualBasic, and I recall helping a friend
implement Chou & Fasman in it years ago (or perhaps in QuickBasic?)
but I don't know of any project which uses Basic for large-scale or even
medium-scale bioinformatics projects.

As others have pointed out, there is the Biopython project at biopython.org.
Sadly for me, bioinformatics is dominated by Perl.  Luckily, chemistry and
structure aren't.

                    Andrew
                    dalke at dalkescientific.com