Exclusive terminology and formatting rules for Nextflow docs, and for
Nextflow code and concepts referenced inside other products' docs. These layer
on top of the core references, including ../core/terminology.md.
Core ../core/terminology.md already covers the Nextflow name (not "NextFlow",
"next-flow", or lowercase "nextflow" in prose), nf-core (lowercase, hyphenated),
the pipeline-vs-workflow distinction, run vs task vs process, and the NXF_*
environment variables. Don't duplicate those here. The rules below are exclusive
to Nextflow. Don't invent DSL behavior or directive names — flag anything you
can't confirm (SKILL.md rule 8).
Nextflow DSL keywords and concepts are code — write them in backticks, and use the term precisely:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
workflow |
The workflow { } block that composes processes |
process |
The process { } block that defines a task |
| channel | The async data structure connecting processes (Channel factory in code) |
| operator | A channel transformation (map, collect, mix, …) |
| executor | The backend that runs tasks (local, SLURM, AWS Batch, …) |
| directive | A process setting (cpus, memory, container, …) |
- ✅ "The
workflowblock wires processes together with channels." - ❌ "The pipeline block wires the pipeline steps together." (imprecise; "pipeline" is a Seqera Platform term — see
../core/terminology.md)
nextflow.config— the pipeline configuration file (in backticks).- Config scopes are code:
process,params,docker,aws,tower, and so on. - Single vs double dash: Nextflow core options take a single dash (
-resume,-profile,-c); pipeline parameters take two (--input,--outdir). Preserve the exact dash count — it is a common and consequential error. params.<name>in code corresponds to--<name>on the command line.