Access the left and right as an interval

python/CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 - Add ``Interval.mid`` and ``Tree.mid`` properties to return the midpoint of the interval.
   (:user:`currocam`, :pr:`2960`)
 
+- Edges now have an ``.interval`` attribute returning a ``tskit.Interval`` object.
+  (:user:`hyanwong`, :pr:`2531`)
 
 --------------------
 [0.5.8] - 2024-06-27

python/tests/test_highlevel.py

@@ -1576,6 +1576,14 @@ def test_edge_span_property(self, ts):
         for edge in ts.edges():
             assert edge.span == edge.right - edge.left
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("ts", get_example_tree_sequences())
+    def test_edge_interval_property(self, ts):
+        for edge in ts.edges():
+            assert edge.interval == (edge.left, edge.right)
+        if ts.num_trees == 1 and ts.num_edges > 0:
+            for edge in ts.edges():
+                assert edge.interval == ts.first().interval
+
     def test_edgesets(self):
         tested = False
         # We manual loop in this test to test the example tree sequences are working

python/tskit/trees.py

@@ -319,6 +319,16 @@ def span(self):
         """
         return self.right - self.left
 
+    @property
+    def interval(self):
+        """
+        Returns the left and right positions of this edge as an :class:`Interval`
+
+        :return: The interval covered by this edge.
+        :rtype: :class:`Interval`
+        """
+        return Interval(self.left, self.right)
+
 
 @metadata_module.lazy_decode()
 @dataclass