AlleleAttributes alleleAttributes(Allele & main_allele, Allele & reference_allele) {

        assert(!(main_allele.seq().empty()));
        assert(!(reference_allele.seq().empty()));

        assert(!(reference_allele.isMissing()));

    	if (main_allele.isMissing()) {

    		return AlleleAttributes(Type::Missing, 0, 0, 0);
    	}

    	if (main_allele == reference_allele) {

    		return AlleleAttributes(Type::Reference, main_allele.seq().size(), count(main_allele.seq().begin(), main_allele.seq().end(), 'N'), 0);
    	}

    	Allele trimmed_main_allele = main_allele;
    	Allele trimmed_reference_allele = reference_allele;

    	fullTrimAllelePair(&trimmed_main_allele, &trimmed_reference_allele);
        assert(!(trimmed_main_allele.seq().empty()) or !(trimmed_reference_allele.seq().empty()));

        uint trimmed_main_allele_length = trimmed_main_allele.seq().size();
        uint trimmed_reference_allele_length = trimmed_reference_allele.seq().size();

        uint trimmed_main_allele_num_ambiguous = count(trimmed_main_allele.seq().begin(), trimmed_main_allele.seq().end(), 'N');

    	if (trimmed_main_allele_length == trimmed_reference_allele_length) {

            auto allele_type = Type::Complex;

    		if (trimmed_main_allele_length == 1) {

	    		allele_type = Type::SNP;

    		} else if (isInversion(trimmed_main_allele, trimmed_reference_allele, 0.95, 10)) {

                allele_type = Type::Inversion;
    		} 

	    	return AlleleAttributes(allele_type, trimmed_main_allele_length, trimmed_main_allele_num_ambiguous, 0);

    	} else {

            auto allele_type = Type::Complex;

            if (trimmed_main_allele_length == 0) {

                allele_type = Type::Deletion;

            } else if (trimmed_reference_allele_length == 0) {

                allele_type = Type::Insertion;
            } 

            return AlleleAttributes(allele_type, trimmed_main_allele_length, trimmed_main_allele_num_ambiguous, trimmed_main_allele_length - trimmed_reference_allele_length);          
        }
    }
	string getAlleleStringAttribute(Allele & allele, const string attribute) {

		auto att_value = allele.info().getValue<string>(attribute);
		
		if (att_value.second) {									
		
			if (att_value.first == ".") {

				return "NoValue";
			
			} else {

				assert(!(allele.isMissing()));
				return att_value.first;
			}

		} else {

			return "Reference";
		}
	}