API reference¶
RAVEN ships in two implementations that build the same genome-scale metabolic models with the same algorithms:
- RAVEN — the original MATLAB toolbox, built on the COBRA Toolbox and
libSBML. Functions usecamelCasenames. - raven-toolbox — the Python port, built on cobrapy. Functions use
snake_casenames.
The function help on these pages is extracted directly from the source of each toolbox on the branch tracked by this site, so it stays in sync with the code.
How these pages are organised¶
The reference is split into two parallel trees, one per language, each organised by the toolbox's own module layout and each function shown with its signature, parameters and returns:
- MATLAB API (RAVEN) — one page per category (
Reconstruction,Manipulation,Input / output, …). - Python API (raven-toolbox) — one page per package, mirroring the same categories.
Every page opens with a Functions table you can scan, followed by the full help for each function.
To move between the two implementations, use the MATLAB vs Python
table, which maps every paired function camelCase ↔ snake_case and links to
both references.
How the two line up¶
The implementations are deliberately kept aligned. The main differences are mechanical:
| RAVEN (MATLAB) | raven-toolbox (Python) | |
|---|---|---|
| Naming | camelCase (getModelFromHomology) |
snake_case (get_model_from_homology) |
| Returns | multiple outputs [a,b] = f(...) |
one return value; objects often mutated in place |
| Indexing | 1-based | 0-based |
| Model object | RAVEN model struct |
cobra.Model with RAVEN extensions |
A note on the two docstring styles
raven-toolbox's docstrings are NumPy-style, so they render as structured parameter/return tables. RAVEN's MATLAB help blocks use the toolbox's own indented convention, so they render as faithful help text rather than typed tables. The content is the same; only the formatting differs.
Use the navigation to browse either tree, or start from the MATLAB vs Python table.