http://depth-first.com/articles/2006/08/18/107-years-of-line-formula-notations-1861-1968 en-us 40 Walking the Web of Chemical Informatics <h1><code>L E5 B666 FVTJ A1 E1 OQ</code></h1> <blockquote> <p>Thus, within the short period of just seven years after the birth of structural chemistry in 1861, virtually all of the main ideas relating to line-formula descriptions were conceived and published. No basically new practices appeared for some 79 years. Then, within an identically brief period of just seven years (1947-1954), virtually all of the fundamental features of structure-delineating chemical notations appeared in the international chemical literature.</p> <p><cite>-William J. Wiswesser <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/c160030a007">J. Chem. Doc. 1968, 8, 146-150</a></cite></p> </blockquote> <p>Apparently, advances in chemical line notations have a history of occurring in clusters. Perhaps the development of <a href="http://www.iupac.org/inchi/">InChI</a> will spawn a renaissance in the development and use of line notations. Is there room (or need) for multiple line notation languages, each filling a particular niche, or can a universal line notation ever be developed? Will currently popular line notations such as <a href="http://www.daylight.com/dayhtml/doc/theory/theory.smiles.html">SMILES</a> and InChI seem as cumbersome in 30 years as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006CK33G/sr=8-1/qid=1155873116/ref=sr_1_1/102-3132294-7762550?ie=UTF8">Wiswesser Line Notation</a> does today?</p> Fri, 18 Aug 2006 02:50:00 -0400 urn:uuid:f84b221b-5b09-43b2-94d0-9fbcc379abd4 Rich Apodaca http://depth-first.com/articles/2006/08/18/107-years-of-line-formula-notations-1861-1968 Tools wln linenotation smiles inchi