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Jean — Molecular Biology & Genomics

export_trace

Read-only

Write a Sanger read out in any of the eight formats the trace editor's Export section offers, and hand the file back as TEXT in the pipeline rather than as a download.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
trimNotrim the ends before writing, the same three ways the Trim section does. `none` writes the file's calls as they are; `auto` uses the file's own Mott record when it has one and the sliding window when it does not; `mott` is the instrument's record, which SCF and ZTR never carry; `window` always computes it here.none
_filesNoThe project: record references shaped like _subject. Their records become library documents a tool names in sequences/parts/document; a trace or alignment is found by file name.
formatNothe target. FASTQ is the only one that carries the per-base Phred; GenBank and EMBL are the only two that carry annotations; the rest are a bare sequence.fasta
_subjectNoThe record to act on: exactly one of sequence, accession (+source), sample (an id from list_samples) or file ({name, text} or {name, base64}); record_index picks one record of several.
documentNowhich trace file to write: its name (`read_F.ab1`) or its project file id. A file id is project-specific, so a template ships this unset.
use_internal_nameNoname the record and the filename from the instrument's own sample record (ABIF `SMPL`) rather than from the file name. The instrument's name is often a plate well that means nothing outside the run; a file with no internal record uses its filename either way, and says so.

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
textYesthe file, as text. A VALUE and not a download, deliberately: a graph step that wrote to disk could not be composed with the step after it
basesYeshow many bases the file carries
readingYesthe same sentence the editor shows for this export, generated from it
filenameYesthe name this would be saved as, with the user's own extension for this format applied
sequenceYesjust the bases that were written, so a downstream step does not have to parse the record back apart
trimUsedYeswhich trim actually ran. `auto` answers `window` on a file with no Mott record, so a pipeline that assumed otherwise trimmed on a threshold nobody chose — the same trap `trim_trace`'s `methodUsed` exists for
fileBasesYeshow many calls the trace file holds. Read it against `bases`: the difference is what the bounds cut
lastBaseKeptYes1-based inclusive
firstBaseKeptYes1-based inclusive, the same convention `trim_trace` reports in and every trim readout in the editor uses
carriedQualityYeswhether the per-base Phred reached the file. False on every target but FASTQ, and on a read that never had one

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observed

TDQS

A3.8/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so safety is covered. The description adds genuinely new behavioral context by stating the output is text returned into the pipeline rather than a downloaded file, which is the key trait an agent needs to know about an export tool.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

A single sentence with the action and scope front-loaded and the output-mode caveat second. No filler, no repetition of the title.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, return values need not be explained, and the annotations plus a fully documented six-parameter schema (including the nested _subject) cover the mechanics. The description supplies purpose and output modality; only a note on which document/_subject combination is expected at call time is arguably missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and each parameter (trim, format, document, use_internal_name, _subject) carries a detailed description, so the schema does the heavy lifting. The description only implicitly ties to the 'eight formats' enum and adds no extra meaning about parameters, which is the baseline case.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a concrete verb and resource (write out a Sanger read) plus the full scope of eight export formats, so it is immediately distinguishable from drawing, loading or trimming a trace. It stops short of naming any sibling tool explicitly, which keeps it out of the top band.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The phrase 'hand the file back as TEXT in the pipeline rather than as a download' implies the usage context (programmatic export inside a workflow versus a UI export), but there is no explicit when-to-use/when-not-to-use statement and no pointer to alternatives such as trim_trace, call_bases_from_trace or trace_raw_signal.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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