.VCF

Variant Call Format File

📌 In other uncommon preconditions, the .VCF file pattern can be described as a text data structure utilized in the bioinformatics area to store proper data regarding accurate variant genetic sequences. Specifically, the following .VCF format organization encompasses metadata that describes the outcome file’s reference genome, created on date, source, and format, and it comprises column-formatted genetic sequencing content. Therefore, .VCF data composition serves as an integral part of large-scale genotyping and DNA sequencing initiatives, such as the 1000 Genomes Project.

In order to efficiently streamline the storage capacity of variant genetic metadata, the 1000 Genomes Project made up the Variant Call Format (VCF) principle. This certain algorithm permits bioinformaticians to catalog individual variants of a genome without recording and logging the genetic contents of those variants in their overall entirety. As an alternative option, bioinformaticians got used to saving one default reference copy of the respective genome in a .FASTA or another layout, and then they at last describe the accurate genome’s variants in a .VCF data element. This handy tweak assists bioinformaticians to quickly open, analyze, and review appropriate genetic variations, without consecutively sifting through redundant data.

In its header section, the .VCF file interpretation explicitly describes its own file source, created on date, extension, and other concerned meta-markers. The most crucial piece of metadata is the .VCF record’s ##reference tag, which directly describes where precisely the reference genome of a proper .VCF item is allocated and stored.

In its body section, the .VCF file composition consists of diverse variant genetic sequencing content that is divided into eight mandatory columns, such as:

• POS: The 1-concerned position of the variation on the given .VCF associated genetic sequence
• REF: The reference base at the affordable position on the proper reference sequence
• QUAL: A quality score related to the inference of the suggested alleles
• INFO: An extendable list of key-value pairs describing the outcome .VCF related sequence variation
• CHROM: The entitlement of the sequence on which the corresponding variation is being called
• ID: The identifier of the relevant variation or . entry if the proper identifier is unrecognized
• ALT: The list of alternative alleles at this position
• FILTER: A flag which directly indicates which one of an affordable set of filters the variation has passed.

Some .VCF entries may also encompass complementary columns of data, including SAMPLE and FORMAT data markers.

vCard File

📌 A .VCF compound arrangement is designated for handling typical file items targeted for storing contact data for one or more persons or a business in charge. In practice, the .VCF schema includes an email address, phone number, address, name and other contact metadata. Miscellaneously, .VCF file elements also grasp custom images, fields, and other categories of media-content.

The .VCF specification is frequently applied for exchanging contact data between assigned devices and software products. For instance, you are allowed to easily export a person’s contact data as a .VCF file formation, and after that import the .VCF schema into an eligible contact-organizing suite pre-installed on your PC workstation.

As long as .VCF file elements are pretty small in size, you can easily attach a .VCF file to a recent email message and after that send it to other trusted contacts or to yourself. After this iteration, they are afforded an opportunity to import the contact data bundled into .VCF attachment into their personal contact-organizing package, frequently by simply double-clicking the requested .VCF file sample.

As it is traditionally taken into practice, the .VCF file instances can be initiated from scratch by creating a new contact and exporting it afterwards. For instance, in Microsoft Outlook, you can build up a new custom contact, then navigate to File -> Save As menu branch to create a resulting .VCF pattern.

On the other hand, you can convert other file samples to the .VCF schema pattern. For instance, you can save .XLSX or .XLS file structures as .CSV entry interpretations with Microsoft Excel spreadsheet editor, and later convert them to .VCF formation with a simple converter utility, such as “CSV to vCard”.

How to open an .VCF file?

📌 The .VCF format basement can be efficiently and seamlessly reviewed, monitored, opened, and investigated by Microsoft Windows Contacts (an embedded Windows snap-in), Microsoft Outlook desktop tool or Outlook 365 web-service, Beiley Handy Address Book, vCardOrganizer, Microsoft People (also integrated into Windows features), Palm Desktop, Fonlow IT Open Contacts, Nokia PC Suite, Apple Contacts (this time, an integral macOS module), vCardExplorer, Flexibits Cardhop. Finally, this proper .VCF file arrangement is accessible for tracking and discovery due to interference with Google Contacts and FreshBooks web-services, runnable from an accustomed web-browser area. In the rest of the preconditions, it is recommended to take a glance at Android-compatible AndroLd Contacts VCF applet, available for unrestricted and freeware download from the Google Play store. As an extra tweak, the .VCF container can be successfully operated by VCFtools, GitHub Atom, Apple TextEdit, Microsoft Notepad, Vim, or other compliant text editor, available in your operating infrastructure.