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Jmol

From Alfawiki
Jmol
Company typeOpen-source software
IndustryChemistry software
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsJmol, JSmol
Websitejmol.sourceforge.net

Jmol is a Java-based, open-source program designed for the three-dimensional molecular modeling of chemical compounds. It functions primarily as a 3D chemical structure viewer, integrating the Java programming language with molecular data and the mol file format.

The JavaScript counterpart, JSmol, enables embedding interactive 3D molecular visualizations directly into web pages without the need for Java installation, operating entirely within standard web browsers.

Both Jmol and JSmol offer dynamic 3D visualization tools widely utilized in educational and scientific research domains including chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, crystallography, molecular symmetry, and nanotechnology.

Software

Developed in Java, Jmol supports multiple operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and Unix platforms that have Java environments installed. Distributed as free and open-source software under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 2.0, its user interface is localized into more than 20 languages.

The main components comprise:

  • The standalone Jmol application, packaged as a single Jmol.jar file that operates without installation, requiring only a Java runtime.
  • A software development kit (SDK) designed for embedding Jmol functionalities into other Java-based applications like Bioclipse and Taverna.
  • JSmol, a JavaScript library facilitating the inclusion of interactive 3D molecular models within websites and wiki platforms.

Jmol accommodates various molecular visualization styles including ball-and-stick models, space-filling models, ribbon diagrams, and molecular surface renderings. It supports numerous chemical data formats such as PDB, Crystallographic Information File (cif/mmcif), MDL Molfile (mol/sdf), and Chemical Markup Language (CML), alongside other three-dimensional structural file types.

Replacing the earlier Jmol Java applet, JSmol was developed to allow interactive 3D molecular viewing without reliance on Java plugins. Jmol itself originated as a substitute for the outdated Chime plug-in, replicating its core features except for the Sculpt mode. Over time, it has advanced substantially, incorporating an extensive scripting language known as JmolScript, which includes programming constructs such as variables, arrays, logical and mathematical operators, SQL-like queries, functions, loops, conditional statements, try-catch error handling, and switch-case structures.

See also

External links

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