Demos > Wiswesser Line Notation (WLN)

Wiswesser Line Notation (WLN) is a historically improtant chemistry protocol. While its complexity has led to its replacement by all-atom formats like MDL MOLFile and SMILES, it remains in use by small groups due to its ability to describe complex structural features in a line of text and its compressed nature. The implementation of a WLN parser is a wonderful exercise for anyone interested in cheminformatics.

The interpretations here are based on version 3.2 of the THE WISWESSER LINE-FORMULA CHEMICAL NOTATION manual maintained by William L. Todsen. Versions of WLN are NOT fully backwards compatible, so keep that in mind when using this demo.

Supported Features

All of the chapters of the v3.2 manual are listed here, along with level of support and selected examples. Click on an example to load it into the text field and viewer above.

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Full support - No published examples

Chapter 2 - Notation Symbols; Unbranched Symbols and Unbranched Chains

Full support

  1. 1V1
  2. WN1O1NW
  3. 3O2
  4. 2U2U1
  5. G1UU2
  6. NCS3
  7. PHH2

Chapter 3 - Branch Symbols: Graphic Formulas, Prime Paths, Branch Groups

Full support

  1. QY2&2
  2. GXGGG
  3. F-G-FF
  4. G1XGGYP3&3&&P2&2
  5. WNYQMVY1XQGG1YQU1

Chapter 4 - Organic Salts and Addition Compounds

Full support

  1. 2-HG-2
  2. 2-PB-2&2&2
  3. 4N4&4 &GH
  4. OVYQYQYQYQVO &-KA- 2

Chapter 5 - Benzene Derivatives

Full support

  1. 1R
  2. QVR CNUNR DN1&1
  3. ZR B1U1R DZ
  4. VHR CSH

Chapter 6 - Multisubstituted Benzene Rings

Full support

  1. ZR BG DE
  2. 3OR BF E2 CM1
  3. 1N1&R CYR&R DN1&1

Chapter 7 - Benzene Rings in Branching Chains

Full support

  1. GR DG BOR BO1 EO1
  2. WNR BG EYR DZ CG&1N2Q2Q

Chapter 8 - Cyclic Compounds Other Than Benzene: General Principles

Full support - No published examples

Chapter 9 - Monocyclic Rings

Full support

  1. T6NJ
  2. T5NN CHJ
  3. L6Y BUTJ AUNMR& EG FG
  4. T6-SI-HH C-SI-HH E-SI-HHTJ
  5. L6V BUTJ B1 EY1&U1

Chapter 10 - Bicyclic Fused Rings

Full support

  1. L66J
  2. T66 BN GNJ EVQ
  3. T6-10- IM&TJ

Chapter 11 - Polycyclic Fused Rings

Full support

  1. L B666J
  2. T C666 BKJ B1 EZ MZ &GH &G
  3. L F6 E6 B666 BUTJ F1 IQ J1 J1 N1 O1 R1 U1 U1

Chapter 12 - Decoding Fused Ring Notations

Full support - No unique examples

Chapter 13 - Perifused Rings

Not supported

Chapter 14 - Decoding Perifused Ring Notations

Not supported - No unique examples

Chapter 15 - Chains of Rings Other Than Benzene

Full support

  1. T66 BNJ EQ HO1 IQ D- CT6NJ EVQ
  2. T66 CNJ H- HT66 CNJ D- AL6TJ C- AL6TJ
  3. T6NJ BO2N2&2 FXQR DR&&- BT5OJ

Chapter 16 - Spiro Rings

Full support

  1. L6XTJ A-& AL5XTJ
  2. T56 BO-AS-HOJ C-& CT56 BO-AS-HOJ
  3. T56 CX FN INJ C-& AL5XJ& G- DT56 BNJ B1F

Chapter 17 - Bicyclic Bridged Rings

Not supported

Chapter 18 - Rings with Pseudo Bridges

Not supported

Chapter 19 - Rings with a Branch Locant Emanating from a Multicyclic Point

Not supported

Chapter 20 - Chelate Compounds

Full support

  1. D5Z-CU-Z AD BDTJ &Q 2
  2. T6NJ AD-MN-GGD- AT6NJ
  3. D6O-CR-O ADJ D1 F1 B-& BD6O-CR-O ADJ D1 F1 B-& BD6O-CR-O ADJ D1 F1

Chapter 21 - Metallocenes and Catenanes

Partial support - Mono- and di- connected metallocene rings and single ring catenanes are supported, catenanes parts are not visually interlinked

  1. T-12-MVTJ 0- 0T-12-MVTJ
  2. L50J 0-FE-- 0L50J
  3. L50J A1 0-FE-- 0L50J AG B1

Chapter 22 - Complete Statements of Rules 30, 31, and 32

Partial support - This is a restatement of concepts from other ring chapters

Chapter 23 - Locant Paths in Polycyclic Bridged Rings

Not supported

Chapter 24 - Decoding Polycyclic Bridged Rings Notations

Not supported - No unique examples

Chapter 25 - Ring Analysis

Not applicable - Irrelevant to structure recovery

Chapter 26 - Ring Structures with Crossed Bonds and Unbranched Bridges

Not supported

Chapter 27 - Branched Bridges That Cross Bonds; Rewriting Structural Formulas

Not supported

Chapter 28 - Polymers

Partial support - Individual repeat units are supported in monomers with only 2 external links

  1. /*YR&1*/
  2. /*VMR BVQ CVQ DMVR BVZ DR D* CVZ/

Chapter 29 - General Principles for Stereoisomer Notations

Not supported

Chapter 30 - Inorganic Formulas

Not supported - Output is text, not structures.

Chapter 31 - Inorganic Formulas in Organic Notations

Not supported - Output is text, not structures.

Chapter 32 - Ionic Charges, Free Radicals and Isotopes

Full support

  1. OV1 &-NA- &7/1
  2. T6K DKTJ A2 A1 D1 D1 &I 2 &3/23 &6/23
  3. WNR CNW ENW BNNR&R &14/14
  4. N1 &1/1 2
  5. QV1 &2/C14
  6. QR BG DG E1 &11/H2 3

Chapter 33 - Uncertainties

Not supported

Chapter 34 - Special Problems (MANTRA Suffixes)

Not supported

References

  1. Wiswesser, W. J. A Line-Formula Chemical Notation; Thomas Y. Crowell Company: New York, 1954.
  2. Smith, E. G. THE WISWESSER LINE-FORMULA CHEMICAL NOTATION; McGraw-Hill Book Company: United States of America, 1968.
  3. THE WISWESSER LINE-FORMULA CHEMICAL NOTATION; Smith, E. G., Baker, P. A., Eds.; Chemical Information Management, Inc.: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, 1975.

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