Many bioinformatics (and scientific computing) tasks depend on:

  • reference datasets
  • indices
  • third-party tools
  • derived “prepared” files (normalized, merged, annotated)

Rbbt provides a Resource system that manages this bootstrapping process.

Key behaviors

1) Lazy / on-demand

Resources are typically built the first time you ask for them.

2) Cached on disk

Once built, resources are reused across runs.

3) Provenance-friendly

Since workflows cache steps, resource locations tend to be stable and re-usable.

Practical implications

  • The first run can be slow (downloads and indexing).
  • Later runs are much faster.
  • Remote workflow execution can avoid local bootstrapping altogether.
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