Subsets reads from a SAM or BAM file by applying one of several filters. Takes a SAM or BAM file and subsets it by either excluding or only including certain reads such as aligned or unaligned reads, specific reads based on a list of reads names, an interval list, by Tag Values (type Z / String values only), or using a JavaScript script.

Usage example:

Filter by queryname

java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \
       I=input.bam \ 
       O=output.bam \ 
       READ_LIST_FILE=read_names.txt \ 
      FILTER=includeReadList

Filter by interval

java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \ 
       I=input.bam \ 
       O=output.bam \ 
       INTERVAL_LIST=regions.interval_list \ 
      FILTER=includePairedIntervals

Filter by Tag Value (type Z / String values only)

java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \ 
       I=input.bam \ 
       O=output.bam \ 
       TAG=CR \ 
      TAG_VALUE=TTTGTCATCTCGAGTA \ 
      FILTER=includeTagValues

Filter reads having a soft clip on the beginning of the read larger than 2 bases with a JavaScript script

cat < script.js 
/** reads having a soft clip larger than 2 bases in beginning of read*/ 
function accept(rec) {   
    if (rec.getReadUnmappedFlag()) return false; 
    var cigar = rec.getCigar(); 
    if (cigar == null) return false; 
    var ce = cigar.getCigarElement(0); 
    return ce.getOperator().name() == "S" && ce.length() > 2; 
} 

accept(record); 
EOF 

java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \ 
       I=input.bam \ 
       O=output.bam \ 
       JAVASCRIPT_FILE=script.js \ 
      FILTER=includeJavascript

Category Read Data Manipulation

---

Overview

Summary

Subsets a SAM file by either selecting or excluding certain reads

Details

Subsets a SAM or BAM file by either excluding or selecting reads as specified by FILTER. Other parameters influence the behavior of the FILTER algorithm as described below.

Usage examples

Filter by queryname:

 java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \
       I=input.bam \
       O=output.bam \
       READ_LIST_FILE=read_names.txt \
       FILTER=includeReadList
 

Filter by interval:

 java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \
       I=input.bam \
       O=output.bam \
       INTERVAL_LIST=regions.interval_list \
       FILTER=includePairedIntervals
 

Filter reads having a (2-base or more) soft clip on the beginning of the read:

 cat < script.js
 // reads having a soft clip larger than 2 bases in start of read
 function accept(rec) {
     if (rec.getReadUnmappedFlag()) return false;
     var cigar = rec.getCigar();
     if (cigar == null) return false;
     var ce = cigar.getCigarElement(0);
     return ce.getOperator().name() == "S" && ce.length() > 2;
 }

 accept(record);
 EOF

 java -jar picard.jar FilterSamReads \
       I=input.bam \
       O=output.bam \
       JAVASCRIPT_FILE=script.js \
       FILTER=includeJavascript
 

FilterSamReads (Picard) specific arguments

This table summarizes the command-line arguments that are specific to this tool. For more details on each argument, see the list further down below the table or click on an argument name to jump directly to that entry in the list.

Argument name(s)	Default value	Summary
Required Arguments
--FILTER	null	Which filter to use.
--INPUT  -I	null	The SAM or BAM file that will be filtered.
--OUTPUT  -O	null	SAM or BAM file for resulting reads.
Optional Tool Arguments
--arguments_file	[]	read one or more arguments files and add them to the command line
--help  -h	false	display the help message
--INTERVAL_LIST  -IL	null	Interval List File containing intervals that will be included in the OUTPUT when using FILTER=includePairedIntervals
--JAVASCRIPT_FILE  -JS	null	Filters the INPUT with a javascript expression using the java javascript-engine, when using FILTER=includeJavascript. The script puts the following variables in the script context: 'record' a SamRecord ( https://samtools.github.io/htsjdk/javadoc/htsjdk/htsjdk/samtools/SAMRecord.html ) and 'header' a SAMFileHeader ( https://samtools.github.io/htsjdk/javadoc/htsjdk/htsjdk/samtools/SAMFileHeader.html ). all the public members of SamRecord and SAMFileHeader are accessible. A record is accepted if the last value of the script evaluates to true.
--READ_LIST_FILE  -RLF	null	File containing reads that will be included in or excluded from the OUTPUT SAM or BAM file, when using FILTER=includeReadList or FILTER=includeReadList.
--SORT_ORDER  -SO	null	SortOrder of the OUTPUT file, otherwise use the SortOrder of the INPUT file.
--TAG  -T	null	The tag to select from input SAM/BAM
--TAG_VALUE  -TV	[]	The tag value(s) to filter by
--version	false	display the version number for this tool
--WRITE_READS_FILES	false	Create .reads file containing names of reads from INPUT and OUTPUT (for debugging purposes.)
Optional Common Arguments
--COMPRESSION_LEVEL	5	Compression level for all compressed files created (e.g. BAM and VCF).
--CREATE_INDEX	false	Whether to create a BAM index when writing a coordinate-sorted BAM file.
--CREATE_MD5_FILE	false	Whether to create an MD5 digest for any BAM or FASTQ files created.
--GA4GH_CLIENT_SECRETS	client_secrets.json	Google Genomics API client_secrets.json file path.
--MAX_RECORDS_IN_RAM	500000	When writing files that need to be sorted, this will specify the number of records stored in RAM before spilling to disk. Increasing this number reduces the number of file handles needed to sort the file, and increases the amount of RAM needed.
--QUIET	false	Whether to suppress job-summary info on System.err.
--REFERENCE_SEQUENCE  -R	null	Reference sequence file.
--TMP_DIR	[]	One or more directories with space available to be used by this program for temporary storage of working files
--USE_JDK_DEFLATER  -use_jdk_deflater	false	Use the JDK Deflater instead of the Intel Deflater for writing compressed output
--USE_JDK_INFLATER  -use_jdk_inflater	false	Use the JDK Inflater instead of the Intel Inflater for reading compressed input
--VALIDATION_STRINGENCY	STRICT	Validation stringency for all SAM files read by this program. Setting stringency to SILENT can improve performance when processing a BAM file in which variable-length data (read, qualities, tags) do not otherwise need to be decoded.
--VERBOSITY	INFO	Control verbosity of logging.
Advanced Arguments
--showHidden	false	display hidden arguments

Argument details

Arguments in this list are specific to this tool. Keep in mind that other arguments are available that are shared with other tools (e.g. command-line GATK arguments); see Inherited arguments above.

---

--arguments_file / NA

read one or more arguments files and add them to the command line

List[File]  []

---

--COMPRESSION_LEVEL / NA

Compression level for all compressed files created (e.g. BAM and VCF).

int  5  [ [ -∞  ∞ ] ]

---

--CREATE_INDEX / NA

Whether to create a BAM index when writing a coordinate-sorted BAM file.

Boolean  false

---

--CREATE_MD5_FILE / NA

Whether to create an MD5 digest for any BAM or FASTQ files created.

boolean  false

---

--FILTER / NA

Which filter to use.

The --FILTER argument is an enumerated type (Filter), which can have one of the following values:

includeAligned

excludeAligned

includeReadList

excludeReadList

includeJavascript

includePairedIntervals

includeTagValues

excludeTagValues

R Filter  null

---

--GA4GH_CLIENT_SECRETS / NA

Google Genomics API client_secrets.json file path.

String  client_secrets.json

---

--help / -h

display the help message

boolean  false

---

--INPUT / -I

The SAM or BAM file that will be filtered.

R File  null

---

--INTERVAL_LIST / -IL

Interval List File containing intervals that will be included in the OUTPUT when using FILTER=includePairedIntervals

File  null

---

--JAVASCRIPT_FILE / -JS

Filters the INPUT with a javascript expression using the java javascript-engine, when using FILTER=includeJavascript. The script puts the following variables in the script context: 'record' a SamRecord ( https://samtools.github.io/htsjdk/javadoc/htsjdk/htsjdk/samtools/SAMRecord.html ) and 'header' a SAMFileHeader ( https://samtools.github.io/htsjdk/javadoc/htsjdk/htsjdk/samtools/SAMFileHeader.html ). all the public members of SamRecord and SAMFileHeader are accessible. A record is accepted if the last value of the script evaluates to true.

File  null

---

--MAX_RECORDS_IN_RAM / NA

When writing files that need to be sorted, this will specify the number of records stored in RAM before spilling to disk. Increasing this number reduces the number of file handles needed to sort the file, and increases the amount of RAM needed.

Integer  500000  [ [ -∞  ∞ ] ]

---

--OUTPUT / -O

SAM or BAM file for resulting reads.

R File  null

---

--QUIET / NA

Whether to suppress job-summary info on System.err.

Boolean  false

---

--READ_LIST_FILE / -RLF

File containing reads that will be included in or excluded from the OUTPUT SAM or BAM file, when using FILTER=includeReadList or FILTER=includeReadList.

File  null

---

--REFERENCE_SEQUENCE / -R

Reference sequence file.

File  null

---

--showHidden / -showHidden

display hidden arguments

boolean  false

---

--SORT_ORDER / -SO

SortOrder of the OUTPUT file, otherwise use the SortOrder of the INPUT file.

The --SORT_ORDER argument is an enumerated type (SortOrder), which can have one of the following values:

unsorted

queryname

coordinate

duplicate

unknown

SortOrder  null

---

--TAG / -T

The tag to select from input SAM/BAM

String  null

---

--TAG_VALUE / -TV

The tag value(s) to filter by

List[String]  []

---

--TMP_DIR / NA

One or more directories with space available to be used by this program for temporary storage of working files

List[File]  []

---

--USE_JDK_DEFLATER / -use_jdk_deflater

Use the JDK Deflater instead of the Intel Deflater for writing compressed output

Boolean  false

---

--USE_JDK_INFLATER / -use_jdk_inflater

Use the JDK Inflater instead of the Intel Inflater for reading compressed input

Boolean  false

---

--VALIDATION_STRINGENCY / NA

Validation stringency for all SAM files read by this program. Setting stringency to SILENT can improve performance when processing a BAM file in which variable-length data (read, qualities, tags) do not otherwise need to be decoded.

The --VALIDATION_STRINGENCY argument is an enumerated type (ValidationStringency), which can have one of the following values:

STRICT

LENIENT

SILENT

ValidationStringency  STRICT

---

--VERBOSITY / NA

Control verbosity of logging.

The --VERBOSITY argument is an enumerated type (LogLevel), which can have one of the following values:

ERROR

WARNING

INFO

DEBUG

LogLevel  INFO

---

--version / NA

display the version number for this tool

boolean  false

---

--WRITE_READS_FILES / NA

Create .reads file containing names of reads from INPUT and OUTPUT (for debugging purposes.)

boolean  false

---

Return to top

---

GATK version 4.0.5.1 built at 25-59-2019 01:59:53.