Combines multiple variant files into a single variant file.

Inputs

• One or more input file in VCF format (can be gzipped, i.e. ending in ".vcf.gz", or binary compressed, i.e. ending in ".bcf").
• Optionally a sequence dictionary file (typically name ending in .dict) if the input VCF does not contain a complete contig list and if the output index is to be created (true by default).

The input variant data must adhere to the following rules:

• If there are samples, those must be the same across all input files.
• Input file headers must be contain compatible declarations for common annotations (INFO, FORMAT fields) and filters.
• Input files variant records must be sorted by their contig and position following the sequence dictionary provided or the header contig list.

You can either directly specify the list of files by specifying INPUT multiple times, or provide a list in a file with name ending in ".list" to INPUT.

Outputs

A VCF sorted (i) according to the dictionary and (ii) by coordinate.

Usage examples

Example 1:

We combine several variant files in different formats, where at least one of them contains the contig list in its header.

java -jar picard.jar MergeVcfs \
          I=input_variants.01.vcf \
          I=input_variants.02.vcf.gz \
          O=output_variants.vcf.gz

Example 2:

Similar to example 1 but we use an input list file to specify the input files:

java -jar picard.jar MergeVcfs \
          I=input_variant_files.list \
          O=output_variants.vcf.gz

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Category Variant Manipulation

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Overview

Combines multiple variant files into a single variant file.

Inputs

• One or more input file in VCF format (can be gzipped, i.e. ending in ".vcf.gz", or binary compressed, i.e. ending in ".bcf").
• Optionally a sequence dictionary file (typically name ending in .dict) if the input VCF does not contain a complete contig list and if the output index is to be created (true by default).

The input variant data must adhere to the following rules:

• If there are samples, those must be the same across all input files.
• Input file headers must be contain compatible declarations for common annotations (INFO, FORMAT fields) and filters.
• Input files variant records must be sorted by their contig and position following the sequence dictionary provided or the header contig list.

You can either directly specify the list of files by specifying INPUT multiple times, or provide a list in a file with name ending in ".list" to INPUT.

Outputs

A VCF sorted (i) according to the dictionary and (ii) by coordiante.

Usage examples

Example 1:

We combine several variant files in different formats, where at least one of them contains the contig list in its header.

     java -jar picard.jar MergeVcfs \
          I=input_variants.01.vcf \
          I=input_variants.02.vcf.gz \
          O=output_variants.vcf.gz
 

Example 2:

Similar to example 1 but we use an input list file to specify the input files:

     java -jar picard.jar MergeVcfs \
          I=input_variant_files.list \
          O=output_variants.vcf.gz
 

MergeVcfs (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
--INPUT  -I		VCF or BCF input files (File format is determined by file extension), or a file having a '.list' suffix containing the path to the files, one per line.
--OUTPUT  -O		The merged VCF or BCF file. File format is determined by file extension.
Optional Tool Arguments
--arguments_file		read one or more arguments files and add them to the command line
--COMMENT  -CO		Comment(s) to include in the merged output file's header.
--help  -h	false	display the help message
--SEQUENCE_DICTIONARY  -D		The index sequence dictionary to use instead of the sequence dictionary in the input files
--version	false	display the version number for this tool
Optional Common Arguments
--COMPRESSION_LEVEL	5	Compression level for all compressed files created (e.g. BAM and VCF).
--CREATE_INDEX	true	Whether to create an index when writing VCF or coordinate sorted BAM output.
--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		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.

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--arguments_file

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

List[File]  []

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--COMMENT / -CO

Comment(s) to include in the merged output file's header.

List[String]  []

---

--COMPRESSION_LEVEL

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

int  5  [ [ -∞  ∞ ] ]

---

--CREATE_INDEX

Whether to create an index when writing VCF or coordinate sorted BAM output.

Boolean  true

---

--CREATE_MD5_FILE

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

boolean  false

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--GA4GH_CLIENT_SECRETS

Google Genomics API client_secrets.json file path.

String  client_secrets.json

---

--help / -h

display the help message

boolean  false

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--INPUT / -I

VCF or BCF input files (File format is determined by file extension), or a file having a '.list' suffix containing the path to the files, one per line.

R List[File]  []

---

--MAX_RECORDS_IN_RAM

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  [ [ -∞  ∞ ] ]

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--OUTPUT / -O

The merged VCF or BCF file. File format is determined by file extension.

R File  null

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--QUIET

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

Boolean  false

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--REFERENCE_SEQUENCE / -R

Reference sequence file.

File  null

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--SEQUENCE_DICTIONARY / -D

The index sequence dictionary to use instead of the sequence dictionary in the input files

File  null

---

--showHidden / -showHidden

display hidden arguments

boolean  false

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--TMP_DIR

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

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--USE_JDK_INFLATER / -use_jdk_inflater

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

Boolean  false

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--VALIDATION_STRINGENCY

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

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--VERBOSITY

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

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--version

display the version number for this tool

boolean  false

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GATK version 4.2.0.0-SNAPSHOT built at Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:44:49 -0800.