DNA-helix

This Python script generates a simple DNA animation in the console, simulating the appearance of a DNA strand. The animation continuously loops, displaying a sequence of characters that represent DNA base pairs.

Features

Cross-platform console clearing: The script clears the console screen for both Windows and Unix-based systems (Linux, macOS).
Adjustable length and delay: You can customize the length of the DNA strand and the delay between frames to control the speed of the animation.

Requirements

Python 3.x

Usage

Clone or download the repository containing the script.
Navigate to the directory where the script is located.
Run the script using Python:
```
python dna_animation.py
```
Replace dna_animation.py with the actual name of your script file if it's different.

Script Parameters

The script contains two optional parameters:

length (default: 20): The number of lines of the DNA pattern to display.
delay (default: 0.1): The delay (in seconds) between each frame of the animation.

You can modify these parameters directly in the script or by passing them as arguments when calling the print_dna function.

Example

Here's an example of how you can call the print_dna function with custom parameters:

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print_dna(length=30, delay=0.2)

This will display a longer DNA strand (30 lines) and slow down the animation (0.2 seconds delay between frames).

Code Explanation

clear_console Function

The clear_console function clears the console screen. It checks the operating system and uses the appropriate command:

For Windows (os.name == 'nt'), it uses cls.
For Unix-based systems, it uses clear.

print_dna Function

The print_dna function generates the DNA animation:

Pattern Definition: A list of strings (pattern) represents the DNA base pairs.
Infinite Loop: The animation runs indefinitely.
Frame Update: For each frame, it:
- Clears the console.
- Prints the DNA pattern shifted by one position.
- Waits for the specified delay before updating the frame.

Customization

You can modify the pattern list to change the appearance of the DNA strand. Each string in the list represents one line of the pattern.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

This script was created as a simple demonstration of console animation in Python.

Feel free to modify and enhance the script according to your needs. Enjoy coding!

jlchen5/DNA-helix