QuickStart: Build via URI/URL

GlycamWEB can build structures passed through the URI/URL.

We originally used the term URL because we didn’t know better (silly chemists…).  Since the term URL is still more widely known than URI, we continue to use both as a reference to this mechanism.

This might be useful when:

  • You want to build structures using an automated script.
    • Note that many text-based browsers will not work.
  • You want to provide access to GlycamWEB structures from another web site.

How to build via URI/URL

1. Express the carbohydrate you want to build using either condensed or glycam notation.

You can also use the internal notation for the Consortium for Functional Glycomics, but that notation will not be covered here.

Examples:

In glycam notation, sucrose would be
a-D-Glcp-(1-2)-b-D-Fruf
or
b-D-Fruf-(2-1)-a-D-Glcp

In condensed notation, it would be
DGlcpa1-2DFrufb
or
DFrufb2-1DGlcpa

2. Build the URI

The URI is composed of three parts.

  1. The base address, composed of the URL followed by a question mark.  In other words: “http://glycam.org/url?”
  2. The identifier of the notation you are using. Options are “condensed=” or “glycam=”
  3. The notation for your sugar

To build the URI, you simply concatenate those three parts in that order.

For example, if you wanted to build this sugar:

12

(an entry available in our Oligosaccharide Library)

The glycam URI would be:

http://glycam.org/url?glycam=a-D-Manp-(1-2)-a-D-Manp-(1-3)-a-D-Manp-(1-6)-[a-D-Manp-(1-3)]-b-D-Manp-(1-4)-b-D-GlcpNAc-(1-4)-b-D-GlcpNAc-OH

The condensed URI would be:

http://glycam.org/url?condensed=DManpa1-2DManpa1-3DManpa1-6[DManpa1-3]DManpb1-4DGlcpNAcb1-4DGlcpNAcb1-OH

3. Enter the URI into the address bar in your browser and go!