nf-core/modules: Re-usable, unit tested DSL2 wrapper scripts for the Nextflow community

In July 2020, Nextflow provided a syntax extension called DSL2 that permits the re-use of module libraries both within and between pipelines. The new DSL came with the promise of simplifying the implementation and maintenance of data analysis pipelines, especially for the nf-core community which hosts over 50 pipelines that share functionality and core features.

We have since created a centralised repository called nf-core/modules specifically for the purpose of hosting Nextflow DSL2 module files containing tool-specific process definitions and their associated documentation. Each module contribution is reviewed independently and must pass unit tests before merging into the codebase, as well as adhering to a set of best practices in order to make them standardised, re-usable, portable and reproducible. nf-core/modules has now become a reference for almost 600 standardised wrapper scripts for software tools such as fastqc, bwa, samtools etc. that are re-usable within any Nextflow pipeline.

Extensive documentation and video content is available for adding and using nf-core/modules. The nf-core community have also extended the nf-core/tools Python package to include functionality to install, update, lint and unit test modules in pipelines.

This talk will provide an overview of the current and future plans for nf-core/modules.