Description
Sum skipped-reference CIGAR lengths.
Sequence alignments distinguish flag bits, query/reference coordinates, CIGAR operations and scoring conventions. A single flag or length contribution does not establish a complete valid alignment; consuming reference bases differs from consuming query bases or counting a gap penalty.
Sum skipped-reference CIGAR lengths.
When to use this tool
Use CIGAR Skipped Reference Length when checking the stated alignment flag, operation, span or gap-scoring convention.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter cigar. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read skippedReference. Use the output convention below.
Sum skipped-reference CIGAR lengths. Require positive safe integer operation lengths and supported M/I/D/N/S/H/P/=/X tokens; skippedReference sums only N operations.1
SAM/BAM defines separate flag, quality and CIGAR conventions. This local operation does not validate a complete alignment record.2
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| cigar | Cigar | Required. Text; maximum UTF-16 length 8192. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| skippedReference | Skipped Reference | Required. Safe integer. |
{
"input": {
"cigar": "6M14N5M"
},
"output": {
"skippedReference": 14
}
} Limitations and assumptions
- This excludes deletions and other reference-consuming operations; biological splice status and complete alignment validity are not inferred.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use a complete SAM/BAM and reference-aware validator or alignment method with explicit clipping, coordinate and scoring policies for full processing.
References
-
Calculation and input contract: bioinformatics/cigar-skipped-reference-length — tool.io
-
SAM/BAM format specification, version 1.6 — SAM/BAM Format Specification Working Group
Similar or alternative tools
- CIGAR Soft Clip Length
Sum soft-clipped CIGAR lengths.
- BAM CIGAR Opcode Length Split
Split one packed BAM CIGAR integer.