[BioC] Converting between old and new annotation packages?

[Jeff Gentry]

Hi Marc ...

> The slightly longer answer is that the new style of packages are much 
> more complex than the old ones because they each contain an actual 
> sqlite database.  So you could convert from the new style package "down" 
> into one of the older style packages by querying the database and saving 
> the results as simple environments.   But you cannot easily go in the 
> other direction.

Ah well, figured as much.

> We already support making new chip packages via SQLForge in the
> AnnotationDbi package for most major model organisms.  What did you
> need this for?

I have a bunch of anno packages for custom spotted array chips from a few
years back that I was looking to bring into the modern age, and in several
cases would have to go track down the mapping files and such again ... so
it seemed worth looking into if there was a way of moving from one to the
other w/o doing just that.  Its not a big deal, was just trying to figure
out the path of least resistance.