[Bioperl-l] bioperl-run; size/complexity of bioperl for 1.2

[Nathan (Nat) Goodman]

> We are starting to run into a problem due to the sheer
> size of Bioperl...

Can you do a CPAN-like thing?  Break it into pieces with dependencies, and
let the usual CPAN magic do the installs of what's needed?  I have no idea
how hard this is...

Longer term (after 1.2 at least) you may want to think about arranging the
code in a dependency hierarchy such that one only has to install the
branches one is using.  Hopefully, this could be done seamlessly by CPAN.
For example, someone who wants to BLAST probably doesn't need GFF, Biblio,
Map, ....  At least not on the first day.

> Basically the aim is to keep the learning curve as-flat-as-
> possible for newbies...

It may be worth asking newbies what they found easy and hard.  Perhaps a
newbie would take on the chore of collecting this info.  Again, post 1.2.
FYI- my December Genome Technology column is about BioPerl and talks about
what I found hard in getting started (as well as what I love about BioPerl).
I can share this in another few days -- have to wait for the magazine to
come out or the publisher gets angry!

Best,
Nat