The editor is accessible from the Tools menu of the Jemboss interface and a display can be created one of two ways. If the lindna or cirdna programs in EMBOSS have been used to create a linear or circular DNA graphic respectively, this file may be simply loaded in. Alternatively, the DNA wizard can be used to create a display from scratch.

The DNA Wizard is set to display the sequence in a circular fashion and it will default to this behaviour each time it is accessed. The upper third of the wizard is devoted to the DNA attributes themselves. This includes the length of the sequence and desired tick intervals.

The middle third of the wizard allows input of genetic markers. Feature positions may be entered into the relevant field and the associated label can then be edited. Arrowheads can be attributed to marker regions to indicate the way in which they are transcribed. Confirm each choice with the Enter key.

Restriction enzymes can be entered on the lower third of the wizard in the form of the enzyme name and its start position.

Once the graphic has been created, all features may be altered individually using the Options menu on the DNA Viewer. For all features, line widths and colours may be altered to customise the display for eventual printing or transfer as an image to another document.

Accurate reproduction of sequence features can be done succssfully by inputting the information from a database entry feature table such as EMBL. Alternatively, EMBOSS programs such as getorf and remap may be run alonside the editor to gain accurate information such as the location of an open reading frame or restriction sites.

Although the editor was designed for DNA, it is not dependent on an actual sequence. Thus the graphical representation offered by the editor may be extended to protein sequences and their relevant features.