Mascot: The trusted reference standard for protein identification by mass spectrometry for 25 years

An introduction to Mascot Parser

 

Mascot Parser provides an object-oriented Application Programmer Interface (API) to Mascot result files and configuration files, making it easy for programs written in C++, C#, Java, Perl or Python to access Mascot results. Mascot Parser is available in the following formats:

  • A Java library for Windows, Linux, Solaris, and AIX.
  • A Perl module for Windows (ActivePerl), Linux, Solaris, and AIX.
  • A Python module for Windows (ActivePython) and Linux.
  • A DLL or statically linked library containing C++ library code for Windows.
  • A shared or statically linked C++ library for Linux, Solaris, and AIX.
  • A C# module for Microsoft .NET.

We strongly recommend that anyone writing software to access the Mascot result files uses Mascot Parser. In fact, we use it ourselves! Mascot Distiller and all the Mascot result scripts use Mascot Parser because:

  • It makes application development much faster
  • It makes your code simpler and easier to debug
  • You don’t have to worry about updating your code every time a new version of Mascot is released

The Mascot Parser package, which includes object libraries, header files, binary executables, extensive documentation, and example code for many functions, is available as a free download. To download, please read the licence agreement carefully, then enter your email address to obtain the download links.

Please note that Mascot Parser is a programmer’s tool and you need reasonable proficiency in your chosen language. If you develop a program that incorporates code from Mascot Parser, and want to distribute it to a third party, this is only permitted as long as you do not charge any licence fee for your application. If you want to incorporate Mascot Parser code into commercial software, you’ll need to email info@matrixscience.com to enquire about a commercial licence.

This is free software, so technical support is strictly limited to email, and we do not guarantee a prompt response. Before sending an email to support@matrixscience.com, ensure you have looked for an answer in the documentation and in the on-line support page. If you want to report a possible bug, you must provide a small code fragment that reproduces the bug in a few lines of code. We cannot look through lengthy pieces of code or give general advice on how to use Mascot Parser or general programming issues.

Having said all that, if you find a bug or an error in the documentation, please report it!

For system requirements, see the support page