Notation is the core class for managing a CurlySMILES notation in a Python program. It has been implemented in module file notation.py. This class contains methods that convert a user-given notation into a work notation, parse the work notation, and provide access to the evaluated data and parameters derived from the CurlySMILES-encoded material or molecular structure.

Assuming that modules csm_notation and csm_dataface have been imported and the variable sNotation has been assigned with a string containing a CurlySMILES notation, then a Notation object is created as follows:

___ oDataFace = csm_dataface.Dataface()
___ oNotation = csm_notation.Notation(oDataFace)
___ oNotation.parse(sNotation)

The object oDataFace needs to be created only once and can be used as a singleton while generating further Notation object. Once method parse has been called, other methods can access atom, molecule, and notation data.

Atom list methods apply to CurlySMILES components encoded as SMILES or annotated SMILES. They return a list containing an attribute value for each atom node in the encoded molecular graph. These values occur in the returned list in the same as order as the associated atomic symbols occur in the component notation. Component methods return component-related data of various types. The following table includes links to the detailed description and examples of usage for individual methods of class Notation: