bpy13. Using einfo EUtil in Biopython

We can use Bio.Entrez.einfo to find information about databases. If we call einfo without any parameter, it will return the name of all the databases. However, if we put in a particular db, such as 'pubmed', it will return information about this database.

For Entrez.email, you should give your email. Biopython returns a dictionary of length 1, with the result in key 'DbInfo". Some information about the database is printed such as its name and count.

The dictionary within the result is iterated over (with i being the current subkey). We list all the field names and their description.

# bpy13.py
from __future__ import print_function, division
from Bio import Entrez

Entrez.email = "Your.Name.Here@example.org"
handle = Entrez.einfo(db="pubmed")
record = Entrez.read(handle)
handle.close()
db = record['DbInfo']
name = db['MenuName']
dbName = db['DbName']
desc = db['Description']
count = db['Count']
print(" - ".join([name,dbName,desc,count]))
for i in db['FieldList']:
    print(i['Name'],end='\t')
    print(i['Description'])
    
#PubMed - pubmed - PubMed bibliographic record - 24738242
#ALL     All terms from all searchable fields
#UID     Unique number assigned to publication
#FILT    Limits the records
#TITL    Words in title of publication
#WORD    Free text associated with publication
#MESH    Medical Subject Headings assigned to publication
#MAJR    MeSH terms of major importance to publication
#AUTH    Author(s) of publication
#JOUR    Journal abbreviation of publication
#AFFL    Author's institutional affiliation and address
#ECNO    EC number for enzyme or CAS registry number
#SUBS    CAS chemical name or MEDLINE Substance Name
#PDAT    Date of publication
#EDAT    Date publication first accessible through Entrez
#VOL     Volume number of publication
#PAGE    Page number(s) of publication
#PTYP    Type of publication (e.g., review)
#LANG    Language of publication
#ISS     Issue number of publication
#SUBH    Additional specificity for MeSH term
#SI      Cross-reference from publication to other databases
#MHDA    Date publication was indexed with MeSH terms
#TIAB    Free text associated with Abstract/Title
#OTRM    Other terms associated with publication
#INVR    Investigator
#COLN    Corporate Author of publication
#CNTY    Country of publication
#PAPX    MeSH pharmacological action pre-explosions
#GRNT    NIH Grant Numbers
#MDAT    Date of last modification
#CDAT    Date of completion
#PID     Publisher ID
#FAUT    First Author of publication
#FULL    Full Author Name(s) of publication
#FINV    Full name of investigator
#TT      Words in transliterated title of publication
#LAUT    Last Author of publication
#PPDT    Date of print publication
#EPDT    Date of Electronic publication
#LID     ELocation ID
#CRDT    Date publication first accessible through Entrez
#BOOK    ID of the book that contains the document
#ED      Section's Editor
#ISBN    ISBN
#PUBN    Publisher's name
#AUCL    Author Cluster ID
#EID     Extended PMID
#DSO     Additional text from the summary
#AUID    Author Identifier
#PS      Personal Name as Subject