How to write a computer program or find a suitable one? Please help/?

Question

I would like to write a computer program to calculate percentage composition, or to gain access to one
that maybe exist already.  This is what I want to determine for example, I have three groups of amino acids Polar = S and T, Non-polar V,A,L,G,P and Basic = R. If for example I have the sequence
SRVAL, is there a program I can write or use to make the determination as 20%polar, 20%basic and 60% non-polar.

I have perl installed on my computer, but I have no idea how to use it.  Is there other programming software less complicated than perl, that I can use to write a program.

Thanks

Alan · Accepted Answer

Open up Microsoft Excel, press Alt+F11. In the new "Microsoft Visual Basic" window that opens up right-click "Sheet 1", select "Insert", then "Module"

Now paste the following code in the window.

Function calcComposition(s)
    s = UCase(s)
    j = Len(s)
    If j = 0 Then Exit Function
    For i = 1 To j
        Select Case Mid(s, i, 1)
            Case "S", "T"
                polar = polar + 1
            Case "V", "A", "L", "G", "P"
                nonpolar = nonpolar + 1
            Case "R"
                basic = basic + 1
        End Select
    Next
    calcComposition = polar * 100 / j & "% polar, " & basic * 100 / j & "% basic and " & nonpolar * 100 / j & "% non-polar"
End Function

Now you can just type
=calcComposition("SRVAL")
in any cell of this workbook and get
20% polar, 20% basic and 60% non-polar
as answer.

=calcComposition("SRSVAL")
will answer with
33.3333333333333% polar, 16.6666666666667% basic and 50% non-polar

? · Answer

google "Basic Programming Language"
 which will offer a download of this simple, and interactive programming language. 
Further Google 
"Basic Programming Language tutorials"
It's going to give a real start in simple programming language.
Good Luck

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How to write a computer program or find a suitable one? Please help/?

2 Answers