libSBML Python API  5.8.0
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libsbml.Species Class Reference
Inheritance diagram for libsbml.Species:
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Detailed Description

Implementation of SBML's Species construct.

A species in SBML refers to a pool of entities that (a) are considered indistinguishable from each other for the purposes of the model, (b) participate in reactions, and (c) are located in a specific compartment. The SBML Species object class is intended to represent these pools.

As with other major constructs in SBML, Species has a mandatory attribute, 'id', used to give the species type an identifier in the model. The identifier must be a text string conforming to the identifer syntax permitted in SBML. Species also has an optional 'name' attribute, of type string. The 'id' and 'name' must be used according to the guidelines described in the SBML specifications.

The required attribute 'compartment' is used to identify the compartment in which the species is located. The attribute's value must be the identifier of an existing Compartment object. It is important to note that there is no default value for the 'compartment' attribute on Species; every species in an SBML model must be assigned a compartment explicitly. (This also implies that every model with one or more Species objects must define at least one Compartment object.)

The initial amount and concentration of a species

The optional attributes 'initialAmount' and 'initialConcentration', both having a data type of float, can be used to set the initial quantity of the species in the compartment where the species is located. These attributes are mutually exclusive; i.e., only one can have a value on any given instance of a Species object. Missing 'initialAmount' and 'initialConcentration' values implies that their values either are unknown, or to be obtained from an external source, or determined by an InitialAssignment or other SBML construct elsewhere in the model.

A species' initial quantity in SBML is set by the 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' attribute exactly once. If the 'constant' attribute is True, then the value of the species' quantity is fixed and cannot be changed except by an InitialAssignment. These methods differ in that the 'initialAmount' and 'initialConcentration' attributes can only be used to set the species quantity to a literal floating-point number, whereas the use of an InitialAssignment object allows the value to be set using an arbitrary mathematical expression (which, thanks to MathML's expressiveness, may evaluate to a rational number). If the species' 'constant' attribute is False, the species' quantity value may be overridden by an InitialAssignment or changed by AssignmentRule or AlgebraicRule, and in addition, for t > 0, it may also be changed by a RateRule, Event objects, and as a result of being a reactant or product in one or more Reaction objects. (However, some constructs are mutually exclusive; see the SBML specifications for the precise details.) It is not an error to define 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' on a species and also redefine the value using an InitialAssignment, but the 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' setting in that case is ignored. The SBML specifications provide additional information about the semantics of assignments, rules and values for simulation time t <= 0.

SBML Level 2 additionally stipulates that in cases where a species' compartment has a 'spatialDimensions' value of 0 (zero), the species cannot have a value for 'initialConcentration' because the concepts of concentration and density break down when a container has zero dimensions.

The units of a species' amount or concentration

When the attribute 'initialAmount' is set, the unit of measurement associated with the value of 'initialAmount' is specified by the Species attribute 'substanceUnits'. When the 'initialConcentration' attribute is set, the unit of measurement associated with this concentration value is {unit of amount} divided by {unit of size}, where the {unit of amount} is specified by the Species 'substanceUnits' attribute, and the {unit of size} is specified by the 'units' attribute of the Compartment object in which the species is located. Note that in either case, a unit of amount is involved and determined by the 'substanceUnits' attribute. Note these two attributes alone do not determine the units of the species when the species identifier appears in a mathematical expression; that aspect is determined by the attribute 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' discussed below.

In SBML Level 3, if the 'substanceUnits' attribute is not set on a given Species object instance, then the unit of amount for that species is inherited from the 'substanceUnits' attribute on the enclosing Model object instance. If that attribute on Model is not set either, then the unit associated with the species' quantity is undefined.

In SBML Level 2, if the 'substanceUnits' attribute is not set on a given Species object instance, then the unit of amount for that species is taken from the predefined SBML unit identifier 'substance'. The value assigned to 'substanceUnits' must be chosen from one of the following possibilities: one of the base unit identifiers defined in SBML, the built-in unit identifier 'substance', or the identifier of a new unit defined in the list of unit definitions in the enclosing Model object. The chosen units for 'substanceUnits' must be be 'dimensionless', 'mole', 'item', 'kilogram', 'gram', or units derived from these.

As noted at the beginning of this section, simply setting 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' alone does not determine whether a species identifier represents an amount or a concentration when it appears elsewhere in an SBML model. The role of the attribute 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' is to indicate whether the units of the species, when the species identifier appears in mathematical formulas, are intended to be concentration or amount. The attribute takes on a boolean value. In SBML Level 3, the attribute has no default value and must always be set in a model; in SBML Level 2, it has a default value of False.

The units of the species are used in the following ways:

  • When the species' identifier appears in a MathML formula, it represents the species' quantity, and the unit of measurement associated with the quantity is as described above.

  • The 'math' elements of AssignmentRule, InitialAssignment and EventAssignment objects referring to this species should all have the same units as the unit of measurement associated with the species quantity.

  • In a RateRule object that defines the rate of change of the species' quantity, the unit associated with the rule's 'math' element should be equal to the unit of the species' quantity divided by the model-wide unit of time; in other words, {unit of species quantity}/{unit of time}.

The 'constant' and 'boundaryCondition' attributes

The Species object class has two boolean attributes named 'constant' and 'boundaryCondition', used to indicate whether and how the quantity of that species can vary during a simulation. In SBML Level 2 they are optional; in SBML Level 3 they are mandatory. The following table shows how to interpret the combined values of these attributes.

Interpretation of species' constant and boundaryCondition attributes.
constant
value
boundaryCondition
value
Can have
assignment
or rate rule?
Can be
reactant
or product?
Species' quantity
can be changed by
true true no yes (never changes)
false true yes yes rules and events
true false no no (never changes)
false false yes yes reactions or rules (but not both at the same time), and events

By default, when a species is a product or reactant of one or more reactions, its quantity is determined by those reactions. In SBML, it is possible to indicate that a given species' quantity is not determined by the set of reactions even when that species occurs as a product or reactant; i.e., the species is on the boundary of the reaction system, and its quantity is not determined by the reactions. The boolean attribute 'boundaryCondition' can be used to indicate this. A value of False indicates that the species is part of the reaction system. In SBML Level 2, the attribute has a default value of False, while in SBML Level 3, it has no default.

The 'constant' attribute indicates whether the species' quantity can be changed at all, regardless of whether by reactions, rules, or constructs other than InitialAssignment. A value of False indicates that the species' quantity can be changed. (This is also a common value because the purpose of most simulations is precisely to calculate changes in species quantities.) In SBML Level 2, the attribute has a default value of False, while in SBML Level 3, it has no default. Note that the initial quantity of a species can be set by an InitialAssignment irrespective of the value of the 'constant' attribute.

In practice, a 'boundaryCondition' value of True means a differential equation derived from the reaction definitions should not be generated for the species. However, the species' quantity may still be changed by AssignmentRule, RateRule, AlgebraicRule, Event, and InitialAssignment constructs if its 'constant' attribute is False. Conversely, if the species' 'constant' attribute is True, then its value cannot be changed by anything except InitialAssignment.

A species having 'boundaryCondition'=False and 'constant'=False can appear as a product and/or reactant of one or more reactions in the model. If the species is a reactant or product of a reaction, it must not also appear as the target of any AssignmentRule or RateRule object in the model. If instead the species has 'boundaryCondition'=false and 'constant'=True, then it cannot appear as a reactant or product, or as the target of any AssignmentRule, RateRule or EventAssignment object in the model.

The conversionFactor attribute in SBML Level 3

In SBML Level 3, Species has an additional optional attribute, 'conversionFactor', that defines a conversion factor that applies to a particular species. The value must be the identifier of a Parameter object instance defined in the model. That Parameter object must be a constant, meaning its 'constant' attribute must be set to True. If a given Species object definition defines a value for its 'conversionFactor' attribute, it takes precedence over any factor defined by the Model object's 'conversionFactor' attribute.

The unit of measurement associated with a species' quantity can be different from the unit of extent of reactions in the model. SBML Level 3 avoids implicit unit conversions by providing an explicit way to indicate any unit conversion that might be required. The use of a conversion factor in computing the effects of reactions on a species' quantity is explained in detail in the SBML Level 3 specification document. Because the value of the 'conversionFactor' attribute is the identifier of a Parameter object, and because parameters can have units attached to them, the transformation from reaction extent units to species units can be completely specified using this approach.

Note that the unit conversion factor is only applied when calculating the effect of a reaction on a species. It is not used in any rules or other SBML constructs that affect the species, and it is also not used when the value of the species is referenced in a mathematical expression.

The speciesType attribute in SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4

In SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4, each species in a model may optionally be designated as belonging to a particular species type. The optional attribute 'speciesType' is used to identify the species type of the chemical entities that make up the pool represented by the Species objects. The attribute's value must be the identifier of an existing SpeciesType object in the model. If the 'speciesType' attribute is not present on a particular species definition, it means the pool contains chemical entities of a type unique to that pool; in effect, a virtual species type is assumed for that species, and no other species can belong to that species type. The value of 'speciesType' attributes on species have no effect on the numerical interpretation of a model; simulators and other numerical analysis software may ignore 'speciesType' attributes.

There can be only one species of a given species type in any given compartment of a model. More specifically, for all Species objects having a value for the 'speciesType' attribute, the pair

('speciesType' attribute value, 'compartment' attribute value)

must be unique across the set of all Species object in a model.

The spatialSizeUnits attribute in SBML Level 2 Versions 1–2

In versions of SBML Level 2 before Version 3, the class Species included an attribute called 'spatialSizeUnits', which allowed explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. LibSBML retains this attribute for compatibility with older definitions of Level 2, but its use is strongly discouraged because many software tools do no properly interpret this unit declaration and it is incompatible with all SBML specifications after Level 2 Version 3.

Additional considerations for interpreting the numerical value of a species

Species are unique in SBML in that they have a kind of duality: a species identifier may stand for either substance amount (meaning, a count of the number of individual entities) or a concentration or density (meaning, amount divided by a compartment size). The previous sections explain the meaning of a species identifier when it is referenced in a mathematical formula or in rules or other SBML constructs; however, it remains to specify what happens to a species when the compartment in which it is located changes in size.

When a species definition has a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False and the size of the compartment in which the species is located changes, the default in SBML is to assume that it is the concentration that must be updated to account for the size change. This follows from the principle that, all other things held constant, if a compartment simply changes in size, the size change does not in itself cause an increase or decrease in the number of entities of any species in that compartment. In a sense, the default is that the amount of a species is preserved across compartment size changes. Upon such size changes, the value of the concentration or density must be recalculated from the simple relationship concentration = amount / size if the value of the concentration is needed (for example, if the species identifier appears in a mathematical formula or is otherwise referenced in an SBML construct). There is one exception: if the species' quantity is determined by an AssignmentRule, RateRule, AlgebraicRule, or an EventAssignment and the species has a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False, it means that the concentration is assigned by the rule or event; in that case, the amount must be calculated when the compartment size changes. (Events also require additional care in this situation, because an event with multiple assignments could conceivably reassign both a species quantity and a compartment size simultaneously. Please refer to the SBML specifications for the details.)

Note that the above only matters if a species has a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False, meaning that the species identifier refers to a concentration wherever the identifier appears in a mathematical formula. If instead the attribute's value is True, then the identifier of the species always stands for an amount wherever it appears in a mathematical formula or is referenced by an SBML construct. In that case, there is never a question about whether an assignment or event is meant to affect the amount or concentration: it is always the amount.

A particularly confusing situation can occur when the species has 'constant' attribute value of True in combination with a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False. Suppose this species is given a value for 'initialConcentration'. Does a 'constant' value of True mean that the concentration is held constant if the compartment size changes? No; it is still the amount that is kept constant across a compartment size change. The fact that the species was initialized using a concentration value is irrelevant.

Public Member Functions

def addCVTerm
 
def appendAnnotation
 
def appendNotes
 
def clone
 
def disablePackage
 
def enablePackage
 
def getAncestorOfType
 
def getAnnotation
 
def getAnnotationString
 
def getBoundaryCondition
 
def getCharge
 
def getColumn
 
def getCompartment
 
def getConstant
 
def getConversionFactor
 
def getCVTerm
 
def getCVTerms
 
def getDerivedUnitDefinition
 
def getElementByMetaId
 
def getElementBySId
 
def getElementName
 
def getHasOnlySubstanceUnits
 
def getId
 
def getInitialAmount
 
def getInitialConcentration
 
def getLevel
 
def getLine
 
def getListOfAllElements
 
def getListOfAllElementsFromPlugins
 
def getMetaId
 
def getModel
 
def getModelHistory
 
def getName
 
def getNamespaces
 
def getNotes
 
def getNotesString
 
def getNumCVTerms
 
def getNumPlugins
 
def getPackageName
 
def getPackageVersion
 
def getParentSBMLObject
 
def getPlugin
 
def getResourceBiologicalQualifier
 
def getResourceModelQualifier
 
def getSBMLDocument
 
def getSBOTerm
 
def getSBOTermAsURL
 
def getSBOTermID
 
def getSpatialSizeUnits
 
def getSpeciesType
 
def getSubstanceUnits
 
def getTypeCode
 
def getUnits
 
def getVersion
 
def hasRequiredAttributes
 
def hasValidLevelVersionNamespaceCombination
 
def initDefaults
 
def isPackageEnabled
 
def isPackageURIEnabled
 
def isPkgEnabled
 
def isPkgURIEnabled
 
def isSetAnnotation
 
def isSetBoundaryCondition
 
def isSetCharge
 
def isSetCompartment
 
def isSetConstant
 
def isSetConversionFactor
 
def isSetHasOnlySubstanceUnits
 
def isSetId
 
def isSetInitialAmount
 
def isSetInitialConcentration
 
def isSetMetaId
 
def isSetModelHistory
 
def isSetName
 
def isSetNotes
 
def isSetSBOTerm
 
def isSetSpatialSizeUnits
 
def isSetSpeciesType
 
def isSetSubstanceUnits
 
def isSetUnits
 
def matchesRequiredSBMLNamespacesForAddition
 
def matchesSBMLNamespaces
 
def removeFromParentAndDelete
 
def removeTopLevelAnnotationElement
 
def renameMetaIdRefs
 
def renameSIdRefs
 
def renameUnitSIdRefs
 
def replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement
 
def setAnnotation
 
def setBoundaryCondition
 
def setCharge
 
def setCompartment
 
def setConstant
 
def setConversionFactor
 
def setHasOnlySubstanceUnits
 
def setId
 
def setInitialAmount
 
def setInitialConcentration
 
def setMetaId
 
def setModelHistory
 
def setName
 
def setNamespaces
 
def setNotes
 
def setSBOTerm
 
def setSpatialSizeUnits
 
def setSpeciesType
 
def setSubstanceUnits
 
def setUnits
 
def toSBML
 
def unsetAnnotation
 
def unsetCharge
 
def unsetConversionFactor
 
def unsetCVTerms
 
def unsetId
 
def unsetInitialAmount
 
def unsetInitialConcentration
 
def unsetMetaId
 
def unsetModelHistory
 
def unsetName
 
def unsetNotes
 
def unsetSBOTerm
 
def unsetSpatialSizeUnits
 
def unsetSpeciesType
 
def unsetSubstanceUnits
 
def unsetUnits
 

Member Function Documentation

def libsbml.SBase.addCVTerm (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

addCVTerm(SBase self, CVTerm term, bool newBag=False)   int
addCVTerm(SBase self, CVTerm term)   int

Adds a copy of the given CVTerm object to this SBML object.

Parameters
termthe CVTerm to assign.
newBagif True, creates a new RDF bag with the same identifier as a previous bag, and if False, adds the term to an existing RDF bag with the same type of qualifier as the term being added.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
Since the CV Term uses the 'metaid' attribute of the object as a reference, if the object has no 'metaid' attribute value set, then the CVTerm will not be added.
Warning
The fact that this method copies the object passed to it means that the caller will be left holding a physically different object instance than the one contained in this object. Changes made to the original object instance (such as resetting attribute values) will not affect the instance added here. In addition, the caller should make sure to free the original object if it is no longer being used, or else a memory leak will result.
Documentation note:
The native C++ implementation of this method defines a default argument value. In the documentation generated for different libSBML language bindings, you may or may not see corresponding arguments in the method declarations. For example, in Java and C#, a default argument is handled by declaring two separate methods, with one of them having the argument and the other one lacking the argument. However, the libSBML documentation will be identical for both methods. Consequently, if you are reading this and do not see an argument even though one is described, please look for descriptions of other variants of this method near where this one appears in the documentation.
def libsbml.SBase.appendAnnotation (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

appendAnnotation(SBase self, XMLNode annotation)   int
appendAnnotation(SBase self, string annotation)   int

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

appendAnnotation(XMLNode annotation)

Appends the given annotation to the 'annotation' subelement of this object.

Whereas the SBase 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Unlike SBase.setAnnotation() or SBase.setAnnotation(), this method allows other annotations to be preserved when an application adds its own data.

Parameters
annotationan XML structure that is to be copied and appended to the content of the 'annotation' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getAnnotationString()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()

Method variant with the following signature:

appendAnnotation(string annotation)

Appends the given annotation to the 'annotation' subelement of this object.

Whereas the SBase 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Unlike SBase.setAnnotation() or SBase.setAnnotation(), this method allows other annotations to be preserved when an application adds its own data.

Parameters
annotationan XML string that is to be copied and appended to the content of the 'annotation' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getAnnotationString()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()
def libsbml.SBase.appendNotes (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

appendNotes(SBase self, XMLNode notes)   int
appendNotes(SBase self, string notes)   int

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

appendNotes(string notes)

Appends the given notes to the 'notes' subelement of this object.

The content of the parameter notes is copied.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

Parameters
notesan XML string that is to appended to the content of the 'notes' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getNotesString()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()

Method variant with the following signature:

appendNotes(XMLNode notes)

Appends the given notes to the 'notes' subelement of this object.

The content of notes is copied.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

Parameters
notesan XML node structure that is to appended to the content of the 'notes' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getNotesString()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()
def libsbml.Species.clone (   self)

Implementation of SBML's Species construct.

A species in SBML refers to a pool of entities that (a) are considered indistinguishable from each other for the purposes of the model, (b) participate in reactions, and (c) are located in a specific compartment. The SBML Species object class is intended to represent these pools.

As with other major constructs in SBML, Species has a mandatory attribute, 'id', used to give the species type an identifier in the model. The identifier must be a text string conforming to the identifer syntax permitted in SBML. Species also has an optional 'name' attribute, of type string. The 'id' and 'name' must be used according to the guidelines described in the SBML specifications.

The required attribute 'compartment' is used to identify the compartment in which the species is located. The attribute's value must be the identifier of an existing Compartment object. It is important to note that there is no default value for the 'compartment' attribute on Species; every species in an SBML model must be assigned a compartment explicitly. (This also implies that every model with one or more Species objects must define at least one Compartment object.)

The initial amount and concentration of a species

The optional attributes 'initialAmount' and 'initialConcentration', both having a data type of float, can be used to set the initial quantity of the species in the compartment where the species is located. These attributes are mutually exclusive; i.e., only one can have a value on any given instance of a Species object. Missing 'initialAmount' and 'initialConcentration' values implies that their values either are unknown, or to be obtained from an external source, or determined by an InitialAssignment or other SBML construct elsewhere in the model.

A species' initial quantity in SBML is set by the 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' attribute exactly once. If the 'constant' attribute is True, then the value of the species' quantity is fixed and cannot be changed except by an InitialAssignment. These methods differ in that the 'initialAmount' and 'initialConcentration' attributes can only be used to set the species quantity to a literal floating-point number, whereas the use of an InitialAssignment object allows the value to be set using an arbitrary mathematical expression (which, thanks to MathML's expressiveness, may evaluate to a rational number). If the species' 'constant' attribute is False, the species' quantity value may be overridden by an InitialAssignment or changed by AssignmentRule or AlgebraicRule, and in addition, for t > 0, it may also be changed by a RateRule, Event objects, and as a result of being a reactant or product in one or more Reaction objects. (However, some constructs are mutually exclusive; see the SBML specifications for the precise details.) It is not an error to define 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' on a species and also redefine the value using an InitialAssignment, but the 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' setting in that case is ignored. The SBML specifications provide additional information about the semantics of assignments, rules and values for simulation time t <= 0.

SBML Level 2 additionally stipulates that in cases where a species' compartment has a 'spatialDimensions' value of 0 (zero), the species cannot have a value for 'initialConcentration' because the concepts of concentration and density break down when a container has zero dimensions.

The units of a species' amount or concentration

When the attribute 'initialAmount' is set, the unit of measurement associated with the value of 'initialAmount' is specified by the Species attribute 'substanceUnits'. When the 'initialConcentration' attribute is set, the unit of measurement associated with this concentration value is {unit of amount} divided by {unit of size}, where the {unit of amount} is specified by the Species 'substanceUnits' attribute, and the {unit of size} is specified by the 'units' attribute of the Compartment object in which the species is located. Note that in either case, a unit of amount is involved and determined by the 'substanceUnits' attribute. Note these two attributes alone do not determine the units of the species when the species identifier appears in a mathematical expression; that aspect is determined by the attribute 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' discussed below.

In SBML Level 3, if the 'substanceUnits' attribute is not set on a given Species object instance, then the unit of amount for that species is inherited from the 'substanceUnits' attribute on the enclosing Model object instance. If that attribute on Model is not set either, then the unit associated with the species' quantity is undefined.

In SBML Level 2, if the 'substanceUnits' attribute is not set on a given Species object instance, then the unit of amount for that species is taken from the predefined SBML unit identifier 'substance'. The value assigned to 'substanceUnits' must be chosen from one of the following possibilities: one of the base unit identifiers defined in SBML, the built-in unit identifier 'substance', or the identifier of a new unit defined in the list of unit definitions in the enclosing Model object. The chosen units for 'substanceUnits' must be be 'dimensionless', 'mole', 'item', 'kilogram', 'gram', or units derived from these.

As noted at the beginning of this section, simply setting 'initialAmount' or 'initialConcentration' alone does not determine whether a species identifier represents an amount or a concentration when it appears elsewhere in an SBML model. The role of the attribute 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' is to indicate whether the units of the species, when the species identifier appears in mathematical formulas, are intended to be concentration or amount. The attribute takes on a boolean value. In SBML Level 3, the attribute has no default value and must always be set in a model; in SBML Level 2, it has a default value of False.

The units of the species are used in the following ways:

  • When the species' identifier appears in a MathML formula, it represents the species' quantity, and the unit of measurement associated with the quantity is as described above.

  • The 'math' elements of AssignmentRule, InitialAssignment and EventAssignment objects referring to this species should all have the same units as the unit of measurement associated with the species quantity.

  • In a RateRule object that defines the rate of change of the species' quantity, the unit associated with the rule's 'math' element should be equal to the unit of the species' quantity divided by the model-wide unit of time; in other words, {unit of species quantity}/{unit of time}.

The 'constant' and 'boundaryCondition' attributes

The Species object class has two boolean attributes named 'constant' and 'boundaryCondition', used to indicate whether and how the quantity of that species can vary during a simulation. In SBML Level 2 they are optional; in SBML Level 3 they are mandatory. The following table shows how to interpret the combined values of these attributes.

Interpretation of species' constant and boundaryCondition attributes.
constant
value
boundaryCondition
value
Can have
assignment
or rate rule?
Can be
reactant
or product?
Species' quantity
can be changed by
true true no yes (never changes)
false true yes yes rules and events
true false no no (never changes)
false false yes yes reactions or rules (but not both at the same time), and events

By default, when a species is a product or reactant of one or more reactions, its quantity is determined by those reactions. In SBML, it is possible to indicate that a given species' quantity is not determined by the set of reactions even when that species occurs as a product or reactant; i.e., the species is on the boundary of the reaction system, and its quantity is not determined by the reactions. The boolean attribute 'boundaryCondition' can be used to indicate this. A value of False indicates that the species is part of the reaction system. In SBML Level 2, the attribute has a default value of False, while in SBML Level 3, it has no default.

The 'constant' attribute indicates whether the species' quantity can be changed at all, regardless of whether by reactions, rules, or constructs other than InitialAssignment. A value of False indicates that the species' quantity can be changed. (This is also a common value because the purpose of most simulations is precisely to calculate changes in species quantities.) In SBML Level 2, the attribute has a default value of False, while in SBML Level 3, it has no default. Note that the initial quantity of a species can be set by an InitialAssignment irrespective of the value of the 'constant' attribute.

In practice, a 'boundaryCondition' value of True means a differential equation derived from the reaction definitions should not be generated for the species. However, the species' quantity may still be changed by AssignmentRule, RateRule, AlgebraicRule, Event, and InitialAssignment constructs if its 'constant' attribute is False. Conversely, if the species' 'constant' attribute is True, then its value cannot be changed by anything except InitialAssignment.

A species having 'boundaryCondition'=False and 'constant'=False can appear as a product and/or reactant of one or more reactions in the model. If the species is a reactant or product of a reaction, it must not also appear as the target of any AssignmentRule or RateRule object in the model. If instead the species has 'boundaryCondition'=false and 'constant'=True, then it cannot appear as a reactant or product, or as the target of any AssignmentRule, RateRule or EventAssignment object in the model.

The conversionFactor attribute in SBML Level 3

In SBML Level 3, Species has an additional optional attribute, 'conversionFactor', that defines a conversion factor that applies to a particular species. The value must be the identifier of a Parameter object instance defined in the model. That Parameter object must be a constant, meaning its 'constant' attribute must be set to True. If a given Species object definition defines a value for its 'conversionFactor' attribute, it takes precedence over any factor defined by the Model object's 'conversionFactor' attribute.

The unit of measurement associated with a species' quantity can be different from the unit of extent of reactions in the model. SBML Level 3 avoids implicit unit conversions by providing an explicit way to indicate any unit conversion that might be required. The use of a conversion factor in computing the effects of reactions on a species' quantity is explained in detail in the SBML Level 3 specification document. Because the value of the 'conversionFactor' attribute is the identifier of a Parameter object, and because parameters can have units attached to them, the transformation from reaction extent units to species units can be completely specified using this approach.

Note that the unit conversion factor is only applied when calculating the effect of a reaction on a species. It is not used in any rules or other SBML constructs that affect the species, and it is also not used when the value of the species is referenced in a mathematical expression.

The speciesType attribute in SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4

In SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4, each species in a model may optionally be designated as belonging to a particular species type. The optional attribute 'speciesType' is used to identify the species type of the chemical entities that make up the pool represented by the Species objects. The attribute's value must be the identifier of an existing SpeciesType object in the model. If the 'speciesType' attribute is not present on a particular species definition, it means the pool contains chemical entities of a type unique to that pool; in effect, a virtual species type is assumed for that species, and no other species can belong to that species type. The value of 'speciesType' attributes on species have no effect on the numerical interpretation of a model; simulators and other numerical analysis software may ignore 'speciesType' attributes.

There can be only one species of a given species type in any given compartment of a model. More specifically, for all Species objects having a value for the 'speciesType' attribute, the pair

('speciesType' attribute value, 'compartment' attribute value)

must be unique across the set of all Species object in a model.

The spatialSizeUnits attribute in SBML Level 2 Versions 1–2

In versions of SBML Level 2 before Version 3, the class Species included an attribute called 'spatialSizeUnits', which allowed explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. LibSBML retains this attribute for compatibility with older definitions of Level 2, but its use is strongly discouraged because many software tools do no properly interpret this unit declaration and it is incompatible with all SBML specifications after Level 2 Version 3.

Additional considerations for interpreting the numerical value of a species

Species are unique in SBML in that they have a kind of duality: a species identifier may stand for either substance amount (meaning, a count of the number of individual entities) or a concentration or density (meaning, amount divided by a compartment size). The previous sections explain the meaning of a species identifier when it is referenced in a mathematical formula or in rules or other SBML constructs; however, it remains to specify what happens to a species when the compartment in which it is located changes in size.

When a species definition has a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False and the size of the compartment in which the species is located changes, the default in SBML is to assume that it is the concentration that must be updated to account for the size change. This follows from the principle that, all other things held constant, if a compartment simply changes in size, the size change does not in itself cause an increase or decrease in the number of entities of any species in that compartment. In a sense, the default is that the amount of a species is preserved across compartment size changes. Upon such size changes, the value of the concentration or density must be recalculated from the simple relationship concentration = amount / size if the value of the concentration is needed (for example, if the species identifier appears in a mathematical formula or is otherwise referenced in an SBML construct). There is one exception: if the species' quantity is determined by an AssignmentRule, RateRule, AlgebraicRule, or an EventAssignment and the species has a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False, it means that the concentration is assigned by the rule or event; in that case, the amount must be calculated when the compartment size changes. (Events also require additional care in this situation, because an event with multiple assignments could conceivably reassign both a species quantity and a compartment size simultaneously. Please refer to the SBML specifications for the details.)

Note that the above only matters if a species has a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False, meaning that the species identifier refers to a concentration wherever the identifier appears in a mathematical formula. If instead the attribute's value is True, then the identifier of the species always stands for an amount wherever it appears in a mathematical formula or is referenced by an SBML construct. In that case, there is never a question about whether an assignment or event is meant to affect the amount or concentration: it is always the amount.

A particularly confusing situation can occur when the species has 'constant' attribute value of True in combination with a 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value of False. Suppose this species is given a value for 'initialConcentration'. Does a 'constant' value of True mean that the concentration is held constant if the compartment size changes? No; it is still the amount that is kept constant across a compartment size change. The fact that the species was initialized using a concentration value is irrelevant. Python method signature(s):

clone(Species self)   Species

Creates and returns a deep copy of this Species object.

Returns
a (deep) copy of this Species object.
def libsbml.SBase.disablePackage (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

disablePackage(SBase self, string pkgURI, string pkgPrefix)   int

Disables the given SBML Level 3 package

This method enables or disables the specified package on this object and other objects connected by child-parent links in the same SBMLDocument object.

Parameters
pkgURIthe URI of the package
pkgPrefixthe XML prefix of the package
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.enablePackage (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

enablePackage(SBase self, string pkgURI, string pkgPrefix, bool flag)   int

Enables or disables the given SBML Level 3 package

This method enables or disables the specified package on this object and other objects connected by child-parent links in the same SBMLDocument object.

Parameters
pkgURIthe URI of the package
pkgPrefixthe XML prefix of the package
flagwhether to enable (True) or disable (False) the package
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.getAncestorOfType (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getAncestorOfType(SBase self, int type, string pkgName="core")   SBase
getAncestorOfType(SBase self, int type)   SBase
getAncestorOfType(SBase self, int type, string pkgName="core")   SBase
getAncestorOfType(SBase self, int type)   SBase

Returns the first ancestor object that has the given SBML type code.

LibSBML attaches an identifying code to every kind of SBML object. These are known as SBML type codes. In the Python language interface for libSBML, the type codes are defined as static integer constants in the interface class libsbml. The names of the type codes all begin with the characters SBML_.

This method searches the tree of objects that are parents of this object, and returns the first one that has the given SBML type code. If the optional argument pkgName is given, it will cause the search to be limited to the SBML Level 3 package given.

Parameters
typethe SBML type code of the object sought
pkgName(optional) the short name of an SBML Level 3 package to which the sought-after object must belong
Returns
the ancestor SBML object of this SBML object that corresponds to the given SBML object type code, or None if no ancestor exists.
Documentation note:
The native C++ implementation of this method defines a default argument value. In the documentation generated for different libSBML language bindings, you may or may not see corresponding arguments in the method declarations. For example, in Java and C#, a default argument is handled by declaring two separate methods, with one of them having the argument and the other one lacking the argument. However, the libSBML documentation will be identical for both methods. Consequently, if you are reading this and do not see an argument even though one is described, please look for descriptions of other variants of this method near where this one appears in the documentation.
def libsbml.SBase.getAnnotation (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getAnnotation(SBase self)   XMLNode
getAnnotation(SBase self)   XMLNode

Returns the content of the 'annotation' subelement of this object as a tree of XMLNode objects.

Whereas the SBML 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

The annotations returned by this method will be in XML form. LibSBML provides an object model and related interfaces for certain specific kinds of annotations, namely model history information and RDF content. See the ModelHistory, CVTerm and RDFAnnotationParser classes for more information about the facilities available.

Returns
the annotation of this SBML object as a tree of XMLNode objects.
See Also
getAnnotationString()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()
def libsbml.SBase.getAnnotationString (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getAnnotationString(SBase self)   string
getAnnotationString(SBase self)   string

Returns the content of the 'annotation' subelement of this object as a character string.

Whereas the SBML 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

The annotations returned by this method will be in string form.

Returns
the annotation of this SBML object as a character string.
See Also
getAnnotation()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()
def libsbml.Species.getBoundaryCondition (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getBoundaryCondition(Species self)   bool

Get the value of the 'boundaryCondition' attribute.

Returns
True if this Species' 'boundaryCondition' attribute value is nonzero, False otherwise.
def libsbml.Species.getCharge (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getCharge(Species self)   int

Get the value of the 'charge' attribute.

Returns
the charge of this Species object.
Note
Beginning in SBML Level 2 Version 2, the 'charge' attribute on Species is deprecated and in SBML Level 3 it does not exist at all. Its use strongly discouraged. Its presence is considered a misfeature in earlier definitions of SBML because its implications for the mathematics of a model were never defined, and in any case, no known modeling system ever used it. Instead, models take account of charge values directly in their definitions of species by (for example) having separate species identities for the charged and uncharged versions of the same species. This allows the condition to affect model mathematics directly. LibSBML retains this method for easier compatibility with SBML Level 1.
def libsbml.SBase.getColumn (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getColumn(SBase self)   long

Returns the column number on which this object first appears in the XML representation of the SBML document.

Returns
the column number of this SBML object.
Note
The column number for each construct in an SBML model is set upon reading the model. The accuracy of the column number depends on the correctness of the XML representation of the model, and on the particular XML parser library being used. The former limitation relates to the following problem: if the model is actually invalid XML, then the parser may not be able to interpret the data correctly and consequently may not be able to establish the real column number. The latter limitation is simply that different parsers seem to have their own accuracy limitations, and out of all the parsers supported by libSBML, none have been 100% accurate in all situations. (At this time, libSBML supports the use of libxml2, Expat and Xerces.)
See Also
getLine()
def libsbml.Species.getCompartment (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getCompartment(Species self)   string

Get the compartment in which this species is located.

The compartment is designated by its identifier.

Returns
the value of the 'compartment' attribute of this Species object, as a string.
def libsbml.Species.getConstant (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getConstant(Species self)   bool

Get the value of the 'constant' attribute.

Returns
True if this Species's 'constant' attribute value is nonzero, False otherwise.
Note
The attribute 'constant' is only available in SBML Levels 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.getConversionFactor (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getConversionFactor(Species self)   string

Get the value of the 'conversionFactor' attribute.

Returns
the conversionFactor of this Species, as a string.
Note
The 'conversionFactor' attribute was introduced in SBML Level 3. It does not exist on Species in SBML Levels 1 and 2.
def libsbml.SBase.getCVTerm (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getCVTerm(SBase self, long n)   CVTerm

Returns the nth CVTerm in the list of CVTerms of this SBML object.

Parameters
nlong the index of the CVTerm to retrieve
Returns
the nth CVTerm in the list of CVTerms for this SBML object.
def libsbml.SBase.getCVTerms (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getCVTerms()   CVTermList

Get the CVTermList of CVTerm objects in this SBase.

Returns the CVTermList for this SBase.

def libsbml.Species.getDerivedUnitDefinition (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

getDerivedUnitDefinition(Species self)   UnitDefinition
getDerivedUnitDefinition(Species self)   UnitDefinition

Constructs and returns a UnitDefinition that corresponds to the units of this Species' amount or concentration.

Species in SBML have an attribute ('substanceUnits') for declaring the units of measurement intended for the species' amount or concentration (depending on which one applies). In the absence of a value given for 'substanceUnits', the units are taken from the enclosing Model's definition of 'substance' or 'substance'/(size of the compartment) in which the species is located, or finally, if these are not redefined by the Model, the relevant SBML default units for those quantities. Following that procedure, the method getDerivedUnitDefinition() returns a UnitDefinition based on the interpreted units of this species's amount or concentration.

Note that the functionality that facilitates unit analysis depends on the model as a whole. Thus, in cases where the object has not been added to a model or the model itself is incomplete, unit analysis is not possible and this method will return None.

Note also that unit declarations for Species are in terms of the identifier of a unit, but this method returns a UnitDefinition object, not a unit identifier. It does this by constructing an appropriate UnitDefinition. Callers may find this particularly useful when used in conjunction with the helper methods on UnitDefinition for comparing different UnitDefinition objects.

In SBML Level 2 specifications prior to Version 3, Species includes an additional attribute named 'spatialSizeUnits', which allows explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. The getDerivedUnitDefinition() takes this into account for models expressed in SBML Level 2 Versions 1 and 2.

Returns
a UnitDefinition that expresses the units of this Species, or None if one cannot be constructed.
See Also
getSubstanceUnits()
def libsbml.SBase.getElementByMetaId (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getElementByMetaId(SBase self, string metaid)   SBase

Returns the first child element it can find with a specific 'metaid' attribute value, or None if no such object is found.

Parameters
metaidstring representing the 'metaid' attribute value of the object to find.
Returns
pointer to the first element found with the given meta-identifier.
def libsbml.SBase.getElementBySId (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getElementBySId(SBase self, string id)   SBase

Returns the first child element found that has the given id in the model-wide SId namespace, or None if no such object is found.

Parameters
idstring representing the 'id' attribute value of the object to find.
Returns
pointer to the first element found with the given identifier.
def libsbml.Species.getElementName (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getElementName(Species self)   string

Returns the XML element name of this object, which for Species, is always 'species'.

Returns
the name of this element, i.e., 'species'.
def libsbml.Species.getHasOnlySubstanceUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getHasOnlySubstanceUnits(Species self)   bool

Get the value of the 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute.

Returns
True if this Species' 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute value is nonzero, False otherwise.
Note
The 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute does not exist in SBML Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.getId (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getId(Species self)   string

Returns the value of the 'id' attribute of this Species object.

Returns
the id of this Species object.
def libsbml.Species.getInitialAmount (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getInitialAmount(Species self)   float

Get the value of the 'initialAmount' attribute.

Returns
the initialAmount of this Species, as a float-point number.
def libsbml.Species.getInitialConcentration (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getInitialConcentration(Species self)   float

Get the value of the 'initialConcentration' attribute.

Returns
the initialConcentration of this Species,, as a float-point number.
Note
The attribute 'initialConcentration' is only available in SBML Level 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.SBase.getLevel (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getLevel(SBase self)   long

Returns the SBML Level of the SBMLDocument object containing this object.

Returns
the SBML level of this SBML object.
See Also
getVersion()
getNamespaces()
getPackageVersion()
def libsbml.SBase.getLine (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getLine(SBase self)   long

Returns the line number on which this object first appears in the XML representation of the SBML document.

Returns
the line number of this SBML object.
Note
The line number for each construct in an SBML model is set upon reading the model. The accuracy of the line number depends on the correctness of the XML representation of the model, and on the particular XML parser library being used. The former limitation relates to the following problem: if the model is actually invalid XML, then the parser may not be able to interpret the data correctly and consequently may not be able to establish the real line number. The latter limitation is simply that different parsers seem to have their own accuracy limitations, and out of all the parsers supported by libSBML, none have been 100% accurate in all situations. (At this time, libSBML supports the use of libxml2, Expat and Xerces.)
See Also
getColumn()
def libsbml.SBase.getListOfAllElements (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getListOfAllElements(SBase self)   SBaseList
def libsbml.SBase.getListOfAllElementsFromPlugins (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getListOfAllElementsFromPlugins(SBase self)   SBaseList
def libsbml.SBase.getMetaId (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getMetaId(SBase self)   string

Returns the value of the 'metaid' attribute of this object.

The optional attribute named 'metaid', present on every major SBML component type, is for supporting metadata annotations using RDF (Resource Description Format). The attribute value has the data type XML ID, the XML identifier type, which means each 'metaid' value must be globally unique within an SBML file. (Importantly, this uniqueness criterion applies across any attribute with type XML ID, not just the 'metaid' attribute used by SBML—something to be aware of if your application-specific XML content inside the 'annotation' subelement happens to use XML ID.) The 'metaid' value serves to identify a model component for purposes such as referencing that component from metadata placed within 'annotation' subelements.

Returns
the meta-identifier of this SBML object.
See Also
isSetMetaId()
setMetaId()
def libsbml.SBase.getModel (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getModel(SBase self)   Model

Returns the Model object in which the current object is located.

Returns
the parent Model of this SBML object.
See Also
getParentSBMLObject()
getSBMLDocument()
def libsbml.SBase.getModelHistory (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getModelHistory(SBase self)   ModelHistory
getModelHistory(SBase self)   ModelHistory

Returns the ModelHistory object, if any, attached to this object.

Returns
the ModelHistory object attached to this object, or None if none exist.
Note
In SBML Level 2, model history annotations were only permitted on the Model element. In SBML Level 3, they are permitted on all SBML components derived from SBase.
def libsbml.Species.getName (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getName(Species self)   string

Returns the value of the 'name' attribute of this Species object.

Returns
the name of this Species object.
def libsbml.SBase.getNamespaces (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getNamespaces(SBase self)   XMLNamespaces

Returns a list of the XML Namespaces declared on this SBML document.

The SBMLNamespaces object encapsulates SBML Level/Version/namespaces information. It is used to communicate the SBML Level, Version, and (in SBML Level 3) packages used in addition to SBML Level 3 Core.

Returns
the XML Namespaces associated with this SBML object
See Also
getLevel()
getVersion()
def libsbml.SBase.getNotes (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getNotes(SBase self)   XMLNode
getNotes(SBase self)   XMLNode

Returns the content of the 'notes' subelement of this object as a tree of XMLNode objects.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

The 'notes' element content returned by this method will be in XML form, but libSBML does not provide an object model specifically for the content of notes. Callers will need to traverse the XML tree structure using the facilities available on XMLNode and related objects. For an alternative method of accessing the notes, see getNotesString().

Returns
the content of the 'notes' subelement of this SBML object as a tree structure composed of XMLNode objects.
See Also
getNotesString()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()
def libsbml.SBase.getNotesString (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getNotesString(SBase self)   string
getNotesString(SBase self)   string

Returns the content of the 'notes' subelement of this object as a string.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

For an alternative method of accessing the notes, see getNotes(), which returns the content as an XMLNode tree structure. Depending on an application's needs, one or the other method may be more convenient.

Returns
the content of the 'notes' subelement of this SBML object as a string.
See Also
getNotes()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()
def libsbml.SBase.getNumCVTerms (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getNumCVTerms(SBase self)   long

Returns the number of CVTerm objects in the annotations of this SBML object.

Returns
the number of CVTerms for this SBML object.
def libsbml.SBase.getNumPlugins (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getNumPlugins(SBase self)   long

Returns the number of plug-in objects (extenstion interfaces) for SBML Level 3 package extensions known.

Returns
the number of plug-in objects (extension interfaces) of package extensions known by this instance of libSBML.
def libsbml.SBase.getPackageName (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getPackageName(SBase self)   string

Returns the name of the SBML Level 3 package in which this element is defined.

Returns
the name of the SBML package in which this element is defined. The string "core" will be returned if this element is defined in SBML Level 3 Core. The string "unknown" will be returned if this element is not defined in any SBML package.
def libsbml.SBase.getPackageVersion (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getPackageVersion(SBase self)   long

Returns the Version of the SBML Level 3 package to which this element belongs to.

Returns
the version of the SBML Level 3 package to which this element belongs. The value 0 will be returned if this element belongs to the SBML Level 3 Core package.
See Also
getLevel()
getVersion()
def libsbml.SBase.getParentSBMLObject (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getParentSBMLObject(SBase self)   SBase
getParentSBMLObject(SBase self)   SBase

Returns the parent SBML object containing this object.

This returns the immediately-containing object. This method is convenient when holding an object nested inside other objects in an SBML model.

Returns
the parent SBML object of this SBML object.
See Also
getSBMLDocument()
getModel()
def libsbml.SBase.getPlugin (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getPlugin(SBase self, string package)   SBasePlugin
getPlugin(SBase self, string package)   SBasePlugin
getPlugin(SBase self, long n)   SBasePlugin
getPlugin(SBase self, long n)   SBasePlugin

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

getPlugin(long n)

Returns the nth plug-in object (extension interface) for an SBML Level 3 package extension.

Parameters
nthe index of the plug-in to return
Returns
the plug-in object (the libSBML extension interface) of a package extension with the given package name or URI.

Method variant with the following signature:

getPlugin(string package)

Returns a plug-in object (extension interface) for an SBML Level 3 package extension with the given package name or URI.

Parameters
packagethe name or URI of the package
Returns
the plug-in object (the libSBML extension interface) of a package extension with the given package name or URI.
def libsbml.SBase.getResourceBiologicalQualifier (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getResourceBiologicalQualifier(SBase self, string resource)   long

Returns the MIRIAM biological qualifier associated with the given resource.

In MIRIAM, qualifiers are an optional means of indicating the relationship between a model component and its annotations. There are two broad kinds of annotations: model and biological. The latter kind is used to qualify the relationship between a model component and a biological entity which it represents. Examples of relationships include 'is' and 'has part', but many others are possible. MIRIAM defines numerous relationship qualifiers to enable different software tools to qualify biological annotations in the same standardized way. In libSBML, the MIRIAM controlled-vocabulary annotations on an SBML model element are represented using lists of CVTerm objects, and the the MIRIAM biological qualifiers are represented using valueswhose names begin with BQB_ in the interface class libsbml.

This method searches the controlled-vocabulary annotations (i.e., the list of CVTerm objects) on the present object, then out of those that have biological qualifiers, looks for an annotation to the given resource. If such an annotation is found, it returns the type of biological qualifier associated with that resource as a valuewhose name begins with BQB_ from the interface class libsbml.

Parameters
resourcestring representing the resource; e.g., 'http://www.geneontology.org/#GO:0005892'.
Returns
the qualifier associated with the resource, or BQB_UNKNOWN if the resource does not exist.
Note
The set of MIRIAM biological qualifiers grows over time, although relatively slowly. The values are up to date with MIRIAM at the time of a given libSBML release. The set of values in list of BQB_ constants defined in libsbml may be expanded in later libSBML releases, to match the values defined by MIRIAM at that later time.
def libsbml.SBase.getResourceModelQualifier (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getResourceModelQualifier(SBase self, string resource)   long

Returns the MIRIAM model qualifier associated with the given resource.

In MIRIAM, qualifiers are an optional means of indicating the relationship between a model component and its annotations. There are two broad kinds of annotations: model and biological. The former kind is used to qualify the relationship between a model component and another modeling object. An example qualifier is 'isDerivedFrom', to indicate that a given component of the model is derived from the modeling object represented by the referenced resource. MIRIAM defines numerous relationship qualifiers to enable different software tools to qualify model annotations in the same standardized way. In libSBML, the MIRIAM controlled-vocabulary annotations on an SBML model element are represented using lists of CVTerm objects, and the the MIRIAM model qualifiers are represented using valueswhose names begin with BQM_ in the interface class libsbml.

This method method searches the controlled-vocabulary annotations (i.e., the list of CVTerm objects) on the present object, then out of those that have model qualifiers, looks for an annotation to the given resource. If such an annotation is found, it returns the type of type of model qualifier associated with that resource as a valuewhose name begins with BQM_ from the interface class libsbml.

Parameters
resourcestring representing the resource; e.g., 'http://www.geneontology.org/#GO:0005892'.
Returns
the model qualifier type associated with the resource, or BQM_UNKNOWN if the resource does not exist.
Note
The set of MIRIAM model qualifiers grows over time, although relatively slowly. The values are up to date with MIRIAM at the time of a given libSBML release. The set of values in list of BQM_ constants defined in libsbml may be expanded in later libSBML releases, to match the values defined by MIRIAM at that later time.
def libsbml.SBase.getSBMLDocument (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getSBMLDocument(SBase self)   SBMLDocument
getSBMLDocument(SBase self)   SBMLDocument

Returns the SBMLDocument object containing this object instance.

LibSBML uses the class SBMLDocument as a top-level container for storing SBML content and data associated with it (such as warnings and error messages). An SBML model in libSBML is contained inside an SBMLDocument object. SBMLDocument corresponds roughly to the class SBML defined in the SBML Level 3 and Level 2 specifications, but it does not have a direct correspondence in SBML Level 1. (But, it is created by libSBML no matter whether the model is Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3.)

This method allows the caller to obtain the SBMLDocument for the current object.

Returns
the parent SBMLDocument object of this SBML object.
See Also
getParentSBMLObject()
getModel()
def libsbml.SBase.getSBOTerm (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getSBOTerm(SBase self)   int

Returns the integer portion of the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute of this object.

Beginning with SBML Level 2 Version 3, objects derived from SBase have an optional attribute named 'sboTerm' for supporting the use of the Systems Biology Ontology. In SBML proper, the data type of the attribute is a string of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN', where 'NNNNNNN' is a seven digit integer number; libSBML simplifies the representation by only storing the 'NNNNNNN' integer portion. Thus, in libSBML, the 'sboTerm' attribute on SBase has data type int, and SBO identifiers are stored simply as integers. (For convenience, libSBML offers methods for returning both the integer form and a text-string form of the SBO identifier.)

SBO terms are a type of optional annotation, and each different class of SBML object derived from SBase imposes its own requirements about the values permitted for 'sboTerm'. Please consult the SBML Level 2 Version 4 specification for more information about the use of SBO and the 'sboTerm' attribute.

Returns
the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute as an integer, or -1 if the value is not set.
def libsbml.SBase.getSBOTermAsURL (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getSBOTermAsURL(SBase self)   string

Returns the identifiers.org URL representation of the 'sboTerm' attribute of this object.

This method returns the entire SBO identifier as a text string in the form 'http://identifiers.org/biomodels.sbo/SBO:NNNNNNN'.

SBO terms are a type of optional annotation, and each different class of SBML object derived from SBase imposes its own requirements about the values permitted for 'sboTerm'. Please consult the SBML Level 2 Version 4 specification for more information about the use of SBO and the 'sboTerm' attribute.

Returns
the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute as an identifiers.org URL (its value will be of the form 'http://identifiers.org/biomodels.sbo/SBO:NNNNNNN'), or an empty string if the value is not set.
def libsbml.SBase.getSBOTermID (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getSBOTermID(SBase self)   string

Returns the string representation of the 'sboTerm' attribute of this object.

Beginning with SBML Level 2 Version 3, objects derived from SBase have an optional attribute named 'sboTerm' for supporting the use of the Systems Biology Ontology. In SBML proper, the data type of the attribute is a string of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN', where 'NNNNNNN' is a seven digit integer number; libSBML simplifies the representation by only storing the 'NNNNNNN' integer portion. Thus, in libSBML, the 'sboTerm' attribute on SBase has data type int, and SBO identifiers are stored simply as integers. This method returns the entire SBO identifier as a text string in the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN'.

SBO terms are a type of optional annotation, and each different class of SBML object derived from SBase imposes its own requirements about the values permitted for 'sboTerm'. Please consult the SBML Level 2 Version 4 specification for more information about the use of SBO and the 'sboTerm' attribute.

Returns
the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute as a string (its value will be of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN'), or an empty string if the value is not set.
def libsbml.Species.getSpatialSizeUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getSpatialSizeUnits(Species self)   string

Get the value of the 'spatialSizeUnits' attribute.

Returns
the value of the 'spatialSizeUnits' attribute of this Species object, as a string.
Warning
In versions of SBML Level 2 before Version 3, the class Species included an attribute called 'spatialSizeUnits', which allowed explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. This attribute was removed in SBML Level 2 Version 3. LibSBML retains this attribute for compatibility with older definitions of Level 2, but its use is strongly discouraged because it is incompatible with Level 2 Version 3 and Level 2 Version 4.
def libsbml.Species.getSpeciesType (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getSpeciesType(Species self)   string

Get the type of this Species object object.

Returns
the value of the 'speciesType' attribute of this Species as a string.
Note
The 'speciesType' attribute is only available in SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4.
def libsbml.Species.getSubstanceUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getSubstanceUnits(Species self)   string

Get the value of the 'substanceUnits' attribute.

Returns
the value of the 'substanceUnits' attribute of this Species, as a string. An empty string indicates that no units have been assigned.
Note
There is an important distinction to be made between no units assigned, and assuming a value without units has any specific unit such as dimensionless. In SBML, default units are never attributed to numbers, and numbers without units are not automatically assumed to have the unit dimensionless. Please consult the relevant SBML specification document for a more in-depth explanation of this topic and the SBML unit system.
See Also
isSetSubstanceUnits()
setSubstanceUnits()
def libsbml.Species.getTypeCode (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getTypeCode(Species self)   int

Returns the libSBML type code for this SBML object.

LibSBML attaches an identifying code to every kind of SBML object. These are known as SBML type codes. In the Python language interface for libSBML, the type codes are defined as static integer constants in the interface class libsbml. The names of the type codes all begin with the characters SBML_.

Returns
the SBML type code for this object, or SBML_UNKNOWN (default).
See Also
getElementName()
def libsbml.Species.getUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

getUnits(Species self)   string

Get the value of the 'units' attribute.

Returns
the units of this Species (L1 only).
Note
The 'units' attribute is defined only in SBML Level 1. In SBML Level 2 and Level 3, it has been replaced by a combination of 'substanceUnits' and the units of the Compartment object in which a species is located. In SBML Level 2 Versions 1–2, an additional attribute 'spatialSizeUnits' helps determine the units of the species quantity, but this attribute was removed in later versions of SBML Level 2.
def libsbml.SBase.getVersion (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

getVersion(SBase self)   long

Returns the Version within the SBML Level of the SBMLDocument object containing this object.

Returns
the SBML version of this SBML object.
See Also
getLevel()
getNamespaces()
def libsbml.Species.hasRequiredAttributes (   self)

Python method signature(s):

hasRequiredAttributes(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if all the required attributes for this Species object have been set.

Note
The required attributes for a Species object are:
  • 'id' (or 'name' in SBML Level 1)
  • 'compartment'
  • 'initialAmount' (required in SBML Level 1 only; optional otherwise)
  • 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' (required in SBML Level 3; optional in SBML Level 2)
  • 'boundaryCondition' (required in SBML Level 3; optional in Levels 1 and 2)
  • 'constant' (required in SBML Level 3; optional in SBML Level 2)
Returns
a boolean value indicating whether all the required attributes for this object have been defined.
def libsbml.SBase.hasValidLevelVersionNamespaceCombination (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

hasValidLevelVersionNamespaceCombination(SBase self)   bool
def libsbml.Species.initDefaults (   self)

Python method signature(s):

initDefaults(Species self)

Initializes the fields of this Species object to 'typical' defaults values.

The SBML Species component has slightly different aspects and default attribute values in different SBML Levels and Versions. This method sets the values to certain common defaults, based mostly on what they are in SBML Level 2. Specifically:

  • Sets 'boundaryCondition' to False
  • Sets 'constant' to False
  • sets 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' to False
  • (Applies to Level 3 models only) Sets attribute 'substanceUnits' to mole
def libsbml.SBase.isPackageEnabled (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isPackageEnabled(SBase self, string pkgName)   bool

Predicate returning True if the given SBML Level 3 package is enabled with this object.

The search ignores the package version.

Parameters
pkgNamethe name of the package
Returns
True if the given package is enabled within this object, false otherwise.
See Also
isPackageURIEnabled()
def libsbml.SBase.isPackageURIEnabled (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isPackageURIEnabled(SBase self, string pkgURI)   bool

Predicate returning True if an SBML Level 3 package with the given URI is enabled with this object.

Parameters
pkgURIthe URI of the package
Returns
True if the given package is enabled within this object, false otherwise.
See Also
isPackageEnabled()
def libsbml.SBase.isPkgEnabled (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isPkgEnabled(SBase self, string pkgName)   bool

Predicate returning True if the given SBML Level 3 package is enabled with this object.

The search ignores the package version.

Parameters
pkgNamethe name of the package
Returns
True if the given package is enabled within this object, false otherwise.
See Also
isPkgURIEnabled()
def libsbml.SBase.isPkgURIEnabled (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isPkgURIEnabled(SBase self, string pkgURI)   bool

Predicate returning True if an SBML Level 3 package with the given URI is enabled with this object.

Parameters
pkgURIthe URI of the package
Returns
True if the given package is enabled within this object, false otherwise.
See Also
isPkgEnabled()
def libsbml.SBase.isSetAnnotation (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isSetAnnotation(SBase self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this object's 'annotation' subelement exists and has content.

Whereas the SBase 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Returns
True if a 'annotation' subelement exists, False otherwise.
See Also
getAnnotation()
getAnnotationString()
setAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()
def libsbml.Species.isSetBoundaryCondition (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetBoundaryCondition(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'boundaryCondition' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'boundaryCondition' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.Species.isSetCharge (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetCharge(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'charge' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'charge' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
Beginning in SBML Level 2 Version 2, the 'charge' attribute on Species in SBML is deprecated and in SBML Level 3 it does not exist at all. Its use strongly discouraged. Its presence is considered a misfeature in earlier definitions of SBML because its implications for the mathematics of a model were never defined, and in any case, no known modeling system ever used it. Instead, models take account of charge values directly in their definitions of species by (for example) having separate species identities for the charged and uncharged versions of the same species. This allows the condition to affect model mathematics directly. LibSBML retains this method for easier compatibility with SBML Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.isSetCompartment (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetCompartment(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'compartment' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'compartment' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.Species.isSetConstant (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetConstant(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'constant' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'constant' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
The attribute 'constant' is only available in SBML Levels 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.isSetConversionFactor (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetConversionFactor(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'conversionFactor' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'conversionFactor' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
The 'conversionFactor' attribute was introduced in SBML Level 3. It does not exist on Species in SBML Levels 1 and 2.
def libsbml.Species.isSetHasOnlySubstanceUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetHasOnlySubstanceUnits(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
The 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute does not exist in SBML Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.isSetId (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetId(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'id' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'id' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.Species.isSetInitialAmount (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetInitialAmount(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'initialAmount' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'initialAmount' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
In SBML Level 1, Species' 'initialAmount' is required and therefore should always be set. (However, in Level 1, the attribute has no default value either, so this method will not return True until a value has been assigned.) In SBML Level 2, 'initialAmount' is optional and as such may or may not be set.
def libsbml.Species.isSetInitialConcentration (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetInitialConcentration(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'initialConcentration' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'initialConcentration' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
The attribute 'initialConcentration' is only available in SBML Level 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.SBase.isSetMetaId (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isSetMetaId(SBase self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this object's 'metaid' attribute is set.

The optional attribute named 'metaid', present on every major SBML component type, is for supporting metadata annotations using RDF (Resource Description Format). The attribute value has the data type XML ID, the XML identifier type, which means each 'metaid' value must be globally unique within an SBML file. (Importantly, this uniqueness criterion applies across any attribute with type XML ID, not just the 'metaid' attribute used by SBML—something to be aware of if your application-specific XML content inside the 'annotation' subelement happens to use XML ID.) The 'metaid' value serves to identify a model component for purposes such as referencing that component from metadata placed within 'annotation' subelements.

Returns
True if the 'metaid' attribute of this SBML object is set, False otherwise.
See Also
getMetaId()
setMetaId()
def libsbml.SBase.isSetModelHistory (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isSetModelHistory(SBase self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this object has a ModelHistory object attached to it.

Returns
True if the ModelHistory of this object is set, false otherwise.
Note
In SBML Level 2, model history annotations were only permitted on the Model element. In SBML Level 3, they are permitted on all SBML components derived from SBase.
def libsbml.Species.isSetName (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetName(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'name' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'name' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.SBase.isSetNotes (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isSetNotes(SBase self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this object's 'notes' subelement exists and has content.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

Returns
True if a 'notes' subelement exists, False otherwise.
See Also
getNotes()
getNotesString()
setNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()
def libsbml.SBase.isSetSBOTerm (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

isSetSBOTerm(SBase self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this object's 'sboTerm' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'sboTerm' attribute of this SBML object is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.Species.isSetSpatialSizeUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetSpatialSizeUnits(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'spatialSizeUnits' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'spatialSizeUnits' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Warning
In versions of SBML Level~2 before Version 3, the class Species included an attribute called 'spatialSizeUnits', which allowed explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. This attribute was removed in SBML Level 2 Version 3. LibSBML retains this attribute for compatibility with older definitions of Level 2, but its use is strongly discouraged because it is incompatible with Level 2 Version 3 and Level 2 Version 4.
def libsbml.Species.isSetSpeciesType (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetSpeciesType(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'speciesType' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'speciesType' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
Note
The 'speciesType' attribute is only available in SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4.
def libsbml.Species.isSetSubstanceUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetSubstanceUnits(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'substanceUnits' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'substanceUnits' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.Species.isSetUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

isSetUnits(Species self)   bool

Predicate returning True if this Species object's 'units' attribute is set.

Returns
True if the 'units' attribute of this Species is set, False otherwise.
def libsbml.SBase.matchesRequiredSBMLNamespacesForAddition (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

matchesRequiredSBMLNamespacesForAddition(SBase self, SBase sb)   bool
matchesRequiredSBMLNamespacesForAddition(SBase self, SBase sb)   bool

Returns True if this object's set of XML namespaces are a subset of the given object's XML namespaces.

Parameters
sban object to compare with respect to namespaces
Returns
boolean, True if this object's collection of namespaces is a subset of sb's, False otherwise.
def libsbml.SBase.matchesSBMLNamespaces (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

matchesSBMLNamespaces(SBase self, SBase sb)   bool
matchesSBMLNamespaces(SBase self, SBase sb)   bool

Returns True if this object's set of XML namespaces are the same as the given object's XML namespaces.

Parameters
sban object to compare with respect to namespaces
Returns
boolean, True if this object's collection of namespaces is the same as sb's, False otherwise.
def libsbml.SBase.removeFromParentAndDelete (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

removeFromParentAndDelete(SBase self)   int

Removes itself from its parent. If the parent was storing it as a pointer, it is deleted. If not, it is simply cleared (as in ListOf objects). Pure virutal, as every SBase element has different parents, and therefore different methods of removing itself. Will fail (and not delete itself) if it has no parent object. This function is designed to be overridden, but for all objects whose parent is of the class ListOf, the default implementation will work.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.removeTopLevelAnnotationElement (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

removeTopLevelAnnotationElement(SBase self, string elementName, string elementURI="")   int
removeTopLevelAnnotationElement(SBase self, string elementName)   int

Removes the top-level element within the 'annotation' subelement of this SBML object with the given name and optional URI.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Calling this method allows a particular annotation element to be removed whilst the remaining annotations remain intact.

Parameters
elementNamea string representing the name of the top level annotation element that is to be removed
elementURIan optional string that is used to check both the name and URI of the top level element to be removed
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement()
replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement()
def libsbml.SBase.renameMetaIdRefs (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

renameMetaIdRefs(SBase self, string oldid, string newid)

Renames all the MetaIdRef attributes on this element.

This method works by looking at all meta-attribute values, comparing the identifiers to the value of oldid. If any matches are found, the matching identifiers are replaced with newid. The method does not descend into child elements.

Parameters
oldidthe old identifier
newidthe new identifier
def libsbml.Species.renameSIdRefs (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

renameSIdRefs(Species self, string oldid, string newid)

Renames all the SIdRef attributes on this element, including any found in MathML

def libsbml.Species.renameUnitSIdRefs (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

renameUnitSIdRefs(Species self, string oldid, string newid)

Renames all the UnitSIdRef attributes on this element

def libsbml.SBase.replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement(SBase self, XMLNode annotation)   int
replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement(SBase self, string annotation)   int

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement(XMLNode annotation)

Replaces the given top-level element within the 'annotation' subelement of this SBML object and with the annotation element supplied.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

This method determines the name of the element to be replaced from the annotation argument. Functionally it is equivalent to calling removeTopLevelAnnotationElement(name); appendAnnotation(annotation_with_name); with the exception that the placement of the annotation element remains the same.

Parameters
annotationXMLNode representing the replacement top level annotation
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
removeTopLevelAnnotationElement()
replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement()

Method variant with the following signature:

replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement(string annotation)

Replaces the given top-level element within the 'annotation' subelement of this SBML object and with the annotation element supplied.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

This method determines the name of the element to be replaced from the annotation argument. Functionally it is equivalent to calling removeTopLevelAnnotationElement(name); appendAnnotation(annotation_with_name); with the exception that the placement of the annotation element remains the same.

Parameters
annotationstring representing the replacement top level annotation
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
removeTopLevelAnnotationElement()
replaceTopLevelAnnotationElement()
def libsbml.SBase.setAnnotation (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

setAnnotation(SBase self, XMLNode annotation)   int
setAnnotation(SBase self, string annotation)   int

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

setAnnotation(XMLNode annotation)

Sets the value of the 'annotation' subelement of this SBML object.

The content of annotation is copied, and any previous content of this object's 'annotation' subelement is deleted.

Whereas the SBase 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Call this method will result in any existing content of the 'annotation' subelement to be discarded. Unless you have taken steps to first copy and reconstitute any existing annotations into the annotation that is about to be assigned, it is likely that performing such wholesale replacement is unfriendly towards other software applications whose annotations are discarded. An alternative may be to use SBase.appendAnnotation() or SBase.appendAnnotation().

Parameters
annotationan XML structure that is to be used as the new content of the 'annotation' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getAnnotationString()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()

Method variant with the following signature:

setAnnotation(string annotation)

Sets the value of the 'annotation' subelement of this SBML object.

The content of annotation is copied, and any previous content of this object's 'annotation' subelement is deleted.

Whereas the SBase 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Call this method will result in any existing content of the 'annotation' subelement to be discarded. Unless you have taken steps to first copy and reconstitute any existing annotations into the annotation that is about to be assigned, it is likely that performing such wholesale replacement is unfriendly towards other software applications whose annotations are discarded. An alternative may be to use SBase.appendAnnotation() or SBase.appendAnnotation().

Parameters
annotationan XML string that is to be used as the content of the 'annotation' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getAnnotationString()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
unsetAnnotation()
def libsbml.Species.setBoundaryCondition (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setBoundaryCondition(Species self, bool value)   int

Sets the 'boundaryCondition' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
valueboolean value for the 'boundaryCondition' attribute.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setCharge (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setCharge(Species self, int value)   int

Sets the 'charge' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
valuean integer to which to set the 'charge' to.
Note
Beginning in SBML Level 2 Version 2, the 'charge' attribute on Species in SBML is deprecated and its use strongly discouraged, and it does not exist in SBML Level 3 at all. Its presence is considered a misfeature in earlier definitions of SBML because its implications for the mathematics of a model were never defined, and in any case, no known modeling system ever used it. Instead, models take account of charge values directly in their definitions of species by (for example) having separate species identities for the charged and uncharged versions of the same species. This allows the condition to affect model mathematics directly. LibSBML retains this method for easier compatibility with SBML Level 1.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setCompartment (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setCompartment(Species self, string sid)   int

Sets the 'compartment' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
sidthe identifier of a Compartment object defined elsewhere in this Model.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setConstant (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setConstant(Species self, bool value)   int

Sets the 'constant' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
valuea boolean value for the 'constant' attribute
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The attribute 'constant' is only available in SBML Levels 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.setConversionFactor (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setConversionFactor(Species self, string sid)   int

Sets the value of the 'conversionFactor' attribute of this Species object.

The string in sid is copied.

Parameters
sidthe new conversionFactor for the Species
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The 'conversionFactor' attribute was introduced in SBML Level 3. It does not exist on Species in SBML Levels 1 and 2.
def libsbml.Species.setHasOnlySubstanceUnits (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setHasOnlySubstanceUnits(Species self, bool value)   int

Sets the 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
valueboolean value for the 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The 'hasOnlySubstanceUnits' attribute does not exist in SBML Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.setId (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setId(Species self, string sid)   int

Sets the value of the 'id' attribute of this Species object.

The string sid is copied. Note that SBML has strict requirements for the syntax of identifiers. The following is a summary of the definition of the SBML identifier type SId, which defines the permitted syntax of identifiers. We express the syntax using an extended form of BNF notation:

letter ::= 'a'..'z','A'..'Z'
digit  ::= '0'..'9'
idChar ::= letter | digit | '_'
SId    ::= ( letter | '_' ) idChar*
The characters ( and ) are used for grouping, the character * "zero or more times", and the character | indicates logical "or". The equality of SBML identifiers is determined by an exact character sequence match; i.e., comparisons must be performed in a case-sensitive manner. In addition, there are a few conditions for the uniqueness of identifiers in an SBML model. Please consult the SBML specifications for the exact formulations.

Parameters
sidthe string to use as the identifier of this Species
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setInitialAmount (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setInitialAmount(Species self, float value)   int

Sets the 'initialAmount' attribute of this Species and marks the field as set.

This method also unsets the 'initialConcentration' attribute.

Parameters
valuethe value to which the 'initialAmount' attribute should be set.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setInitialConcentration (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setInitialConcentration(Species self, float value)   int

Sets the 'initialConcentration' attribute of this Species and marks the field as set.

This method also unsets the 'initialAmount' attribute.

Parameters
valuethe value to which the 'initialConcentration' attribute should be set.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The attribute 'initialConcentration' is only available in SBML Level 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.SBase.setMetaId (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

setMetaId(SBase self, string metaid)   int

Sets the value of the 'metaid' attribute of this object.

The string metaid is copied. The value of metaid must be an identifier conforming to the syntax defined by the XML 1.0 data type ID. Among other things, this type requires that a value is unique among all the values of type XML ID in an SBMLDocument. Although SBML only uses XML ID for the 'metaid' attribute, callers should be careful if they use XML ID's in XML portions of a model that are not defined by SBML, such as in the application-specific content of the 'annotation' subelement.

Parameters
metaidthe identifier string to use as the value of the 'metaid' attribute
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getMetaId()
isSetMetaId()
def libsbml.SBase.setModelHistory (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

setModelHistory(SBase self, ModelHistory history)   int

Sets the ModelHistory of this object.

The content of history is copied, and this object's existing model history content is deleted.

Parameters
historyModelHistory of this object.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
In SBML Level 2, model history annotations were only permitted on the Model element. In SBML Level 3, they are permitted on all SBML components derived from SBase.
def libsbml.Species.setName (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setName(Species self, string name)   int

Sets the value of the 'name' attribute of this Species object.

The string in name is copied.

Parameters
namethe new name for the Species
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.setNamespaces (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

setNamespaces(SBase self, XMLNamespaces xmlns)   int

Sets the namespaces relevant of this SBML object.

The content of xmlns is copied, and this object's existing namespace content is deleted.

The SBMLNamespaces object encapsulates SBML Level/Version/namespaces information. It is used to communicate the SBML Level, Version, and (in Level 3) packages used in addition to SBML Level 3 Core.

Parameters
xmlnsthe namespaces to set
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.setNotes (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

setNotes(SBase self, XMLNode notes)   int
setNotes(SBase self, string notes, bool addXHTMLMarkup=False)   int
setNotes(SBase self, string notes)   int

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

setNotes(string notes, bool addXHTMLMarkup = false)

Sets the value of the 'notes' subelement of this SBML object to a copy of the string notes.

The content of notes is copied, and any existing content of this object's 'notes' subelement is deleted.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

The following code illustrates a very simple way of setting the notes using this method. Here, the object being annotated is the whole SBML document, but that is for illustration purposes only; you could of course use this same approach to annotate any other SBML component.

Parameters
notesan XML string that is to be used as the content of the 'notes' subelement of this object
addXHTMLMarkupa boolean indicating whether to wrap the contents of the notes argument with XHTML paragraph (<p>) tags. This is appropriate when the string in notes does not already containg the appropriate XHTML markup.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getNotesString()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()

Method variant with the following signature:

setNotes(XMLNode notes)

Sets the value of the 'notes' subelement of this SBML object.

The content of notes is copied, and any existing content of this object's 'notes' subelement is deleted.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

Parameters
notesan XML structure that is to be used as the content of the 'notes' subelement of this object
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getNotesString()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
appendNotes()
unsetNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()
def libsbml.SBase.setSBOTerm (   self,
  args 
)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

setSBOTerm(SBase self, int value)   int
setSBOTerm(SBase self, string sboid)   int

This method has multiple variants that differ in the arguments they accept. Each is described separately below.


Method variant with the following signature:

setSBOTerm(int value)

Sets the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute.

Beginning with SBML Level 2 Version 3, objects derived from SBase have an optional attribute named 'sboTerm' for supporting the use of the Systems Biology Ontology. In SBML proper, the data type of the attribute is a string of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN', where 'NNNNNNN' is a seven digit integer number; libSBML simplifies the representation by only storing the 'NNNNNNN' integer portion. Thus, in libSBML, the 'sboTerm' attribute on SBase has data type int, and SBO identifiers are stored simply as integers.

SBO terms are a type of optional annotation, and each different class of SBML object derived from SBase imposes its own requirements about the values permitted for 'sboTerm'. Please consult the SBML Level 2 Version 4 specification for more information about the use of SBO and the 'sboTerm' attribute.

Parameters
valuethe NNNNNNN integer portion of the SBO identifier
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
setSBOTerm()

Method variant with the following signature:

setSBOTerm(string &sboid)

Sets the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute by string.

Beginning with SBML Level 2 Version 3, objects derived from SBase have an optional attribute named 'sboTerm' for supporting the use of the Systems Biology Ontology. In SBML proper, the data type of the attribute is a string of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN', where 'NNNNNNN' is a seven digit integer number; libSBML simplifies the representation by only storing the 'NNNNNNN' integer portion. Thus, in libSBML, the 'sboTerm' attribute on SBase has data type int, and SBO identifiers are stored simply as integers. This method lets you set the value of 'sboTerm' as a complete string of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN', whereas setSBOTerm(int value) allows you to set it using the integer form.

SBO terms are a type of optional annotation, and each different class of SBML object derived from SBase imposes its own requirements about the values permitted for 'sboTerm'. Please consult the SBML Level 2 Version 4 specification for more information about the use of SBO and the 'sboTerm' attribute.

Parameters
sboidthe SBO identifier string of the form 'SBO:NNNNNNN'
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
setSBOTerm()
def libsbml.Species.setSpatialSizeUnits (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setSpatialSizeUnits(Species self, string sid)   int

(SBML Level 2 Versions 1–2) Sets the 'spatialSizeUnits' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
sidthe identifier of the unit to use.
Warning
In versions of SBML Level~2 before Version 3, the class Species included an attribute called 'spatialSizeUnits', which allowed explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. This attribute was removed in SBML Level 2 Version 3. LibSBML retains this attribute for compatibility with older definitions of Level 2, but its use is strongly discouraged because it is incompatible with Level 2 Version 3 and Level 2 Version 4.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setSpeciesType (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setSpeciesType(Species self, string sid)   int

Sets the 'speciesType' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
sidthe identifier of a SpeciesType object defined elsewhere in this Model.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The 'speciesType' attribute is only available in SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4.
def libsbml.Species.setSubstanceUnits (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setSubstanceUnits(Species self, string sid)   int

Sets the 'substanceUnits' attribute of this Species object.

Parameters
sidthe identifier of the unit to use.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.setUnits (   self,
  args 
)

Python method signature(s):

setUnits(Species self, string sname)   int

(SBML Level 1 only) Sets the units of this Species object.

Parameters
snamethe identifier of the unit to use.
Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.toSBML (   self)
inherited

toSBML(SBase self) string *

Returns a string consisting of a partial SBML corresponding to just this object.

Returns
the partial SBML that describes this SBML object.
Warning
This is primarily provided for testing and debugging purposes. It may be removed in a future version of libSBML.
def libsbml.SBase.unsetAnnotation (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetAnnotation(SBase self)   int

Unsets the value of the 'annotation' subelement of this SBML object.

Whereas the SBase 'notes' subelement is a container for content to be shown directly to humans, the 'annotation' element is a container for optional software-generated content not meant to be shown to humans. Every object derived from SBase can have its own value for 'annotation'. The element's content type is XML type 'any', allowing essentially arbitrary well-formed XML data content.

SBML places a few restrictions on the organization of the content of annotations; these are intended to help software tools read and write the data as well as help reduce conflicts between annotations added by different tools. Please see the SBML specifications for more details.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getAnnotation()
getAnnotationString()
isSetAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
setAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
appendAnnotation()
def libsbml.Species.unsetCharge (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetCharge(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'charge' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
Beginning in SBML Level 2 Version 2, the 'charge' attribute on Species in SBML is deprecated and its use strongly discouraged, and it does not exist in SBML Level 3 at all. Its presence is considered a misfeature in earlier definitions of SBML because its implications for the mathematics of a model were never defined, and in any case, no known modeling system ever used it. Instead, models take account of charge values directly in their definitions of species by (for example) having separate species identities for the charged and uncharged versions of the same species. This allows the condition to affect model mathematics directly. LibSBML retains this method for easier compatibility with SBML Level 1.
def libsbml.Species.unsetConversionFactor (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetConversionFactor(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'conversionFactor' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The 'conversionFactor' attribute was introduced in SBML Level 3. It does not exist on Species in SBML Levels 1 and 2.
def libsbml.SBase.unsetCVTerms (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetCVTerms(SBase self)   int

Clears the list of CVTerm objects attached to this SBML object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.unsetId (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetId(SBase self)   int

Unsets the value of the 'id' attribute of this SBML object.

Most (but not all) objects in SBML include two common attributes: 'id' and 'name'. The identifier given by an object's 'id' attribute value is used to identify the object within the SBML model definition. Other objects can refer to the component using this identifier. The data type of 'id' is always either Sid or UnitSId, depending on the object in question. Both data types are defined as follows:

  letter ::= 'a'..'z','A'..'Z'
  digit  ::= '0'..'9'
  idChar ::= letter | digit | '_'
  SId    ::= ( letter | '_' ) idChar*

The equality of SId and UnitSId type values in SBML is determined by an exact character sequence match; i.e., comparisons of these identifiers must be performed in a case-sensitive manner. This applies to all uses of SId and UnitSId.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.unsetInitialAmount (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetInitialAmount(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'initialAmount' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.unsetInitialConcentration (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetInitialConcentration(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'initialConcentration' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The attribute 'initialConcentration' is only available in SBML Level 2 and 3. It does not exist on Species in Level 1.
def libsbml.SBase.unsetMetaId (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetMetaId(SBase self)   int

Unsets the value of the 'metaid' attribute of this SBML object.

The optional attribute named 'metaid', present on every major SBML component type, is for supporting metadata annotations using RDF (Resource Description Format). The attribute value has the data type XML ID, the XML identifier type, which means each 'metaid' value must be globally unique within an SBML file. (Importantly, this uniqueness criterion applies across any attribute with type XML ID, not just the 'metaid' attribute used by SBML—something to be aware of if your application-specific XML content inside the 'annotation' subelement happens to use XML ID.) The 'metaid' value serves to identify a model component for purposes such as referencing that component from metadata placed within 'annotation' subelements.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.unsetModelHistory (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetModelHistory(SBase self)   int

Unsets the ModelHistory object attached to this object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
In SBML Level 2, model history annotations were only permitted on the Model element. In SBML Level 3, they are permitted on all SBML components derived from SBase.
def libsbml.Species.unsetName (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetName(Species self)   int

Unsets the value of the 'name' attribute of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.SBase.unsetNotes (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetNotes(SBase self)   int

Unsets the value of the 'notes' subelement of this SBML object.

The optional SBML element named 'notes', present on every major SBML component type, is intended as a place for storing optional information intended to be seen by humans. An example use of the 'notes' element would be to contain formatted user comments about the model element in which the 'notes' element is enclosed. Every object derived directly or indirectly from type SBase can have a separate value for 'notes', allowing users considerable freedom when adding comments to their models.

The format of 'notes' elements must be XHTML 1.0. To help verify the formatting of 'notes' content, libSBML provides the static utility method SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax(); however, readers are urged to consult the appropriate SBML specification document for the Level and Version of their model for more in-depth explanations. The SBML Level 2 and  3 specifications have considerable detail about how 'notes' element content must be structured.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
See Also
getNotesString()
isSetNotes()
setNotes()
setNotes()
appendNotes()
appendNotes()
SyntaxChecker.hasExpectedXHTMLSyntax()
def libsbml.SBase.unsetSBOTerm (   self)
inherited

Python method signature(s):

unsetSBOTerm(SBase self)   int

Unsets the value of the 'sboTerm' attribute of this SBML object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.unsetSpatialSizeUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetSpatialSizeUnits(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'spatialSizeUnits' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Warning
In versions of SBML Level~2 before Version 3, the class Species included an attribute called 'spatialSizeUnits', which allowed explicitly setting the units of size for initial concentration. This attribute was removed in SBML Level 2 Version 3. LibSBML retains this attribute for compatibility with older definitions of Level 2, but its use is strongly discouraged because it is incompatible with Level 2 Version 3 and Level 2 Version 4.
def libsbml.Species.unsetSpeciesType (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetSpeciesType(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'speciesType' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
Note
The attribute 'speciesType' is only available in SBML Level 2 Versions 2–4.
def libsbml.Species.unsetSubstanceUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetSubstanceUnits(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'substanceUnits' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are:
def libsbml.Species.unsetUnits (   self)

Python method signature(s):

unsetUnits(Species self)   int

Unsets the 'units' attribute value of this Species object.

Returns
integer value indicating success/failure of the function. The possible values returned by this function are: