New functionality: `nf-core config create` (configbuilder)

[jfy133]

Description of feature

It would be nice to have tooling to allow users to create Nextflow/nf-core configs for running nf-core pipelines, both at infrastructure and pipeline levels.

Existing work includes:

• @georgiesamaha and @ctuni 's: configBuilder-nf
• A mockup diagram of the potential workflow
• Existing nf-core slack channel

[jfy133]

Kick off will be at hackathon :+1:

[jfy133]

I've failed miserably to find time to do this myself sadly.

But I've had some thoughts to make progress on this.

The idea in the OP is for a very powerful tooling and is more focused on hand holding a user through many different steps and options. This will take time to do

I had a realisation today we could do this in two phases, the first being a much more low hanging fruit:

1. First phase we simply make basic template for making an nf-core config on the configs repo, exactly like we do for modules/subworkflows etc with very basic info input and the rest being TODOs - this is then in functional parity with all our other components and also this following the same/similar UX a user expects for developing with nf-core/tools)
2. We later build the TUI version which is the fully fledged thing that allows you to build the whole thing with all info embedded and fancy pants detected stuff

For 1 I can be much more helpful and probably very quickly build the basic template files, whereas 2 I can help design and test but writing will be much harder for me

What do you think @mirpedrol @mashehu @ewels

[ewels]

I think @mirpedrol is planning to start work on the fully fledged beast in the near future, so a phased approach may not be necessary.

[jfy133]

Fair enough.

Although i. Think having a cli version would still be useful

• interface parity with the other subcommands
• can reuse a lot of the functions most likely
• will make happy people who don't like the fancy-smancy TUIs

[jfy133]

I.e. can be done at the same time, but still good to have