# Unknown input file format

**URL:** https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238
**Category:** User Support
**Tags:** import
**Created:** [May 22, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238 "2018-05-22T12:54:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/mshelomi/32/1721_2.png) [@mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/mshelomi)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/1 "2018-05-22T12:54:24Z")

</div>

Hello,

I have clean, quality controlled, fastq files named like A02.T0.fastq that start like this:

@A02.T0\_1 HISEQ:722:H5WK5BCX2:1:1101:20594:3175 1:N:0:ACCTCCAA orig\_bc=AAAAAAAAAAAA new\_bc=AAAAAAAAAAAA bc\_diffs=0

There is no barcode file. This is it.

I was told to import it as SampleData[SequencesWithQuality] or SampleData[JoinedSequencesWithQuality], but I get this error:

Missing one or more files for SingleLanePerSampleSingleEndFastqDirFmt: '.+\_.+\_L[0-9][0-9][0-9]\_R[12]\_001\.fastq\.gz'

I use "qiime tools import" and have used literally every --type listed under "qiime tools import --show-importable-types" . None work.

What am I missing?

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/mshelomi/32/1721_2.png) [@mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/mshelomi)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/2 "2018-05-22T12:54:28Z")

</div>

What is a "Manifest?"  
What is the format of a Manifest?  
How can I make a "Manifest" for my fastq.gz files for use when importing using a texteditor?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![thermokarst](https://forum.qiime2.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@thermokarst](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/thermokarst)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/3 "2018-05-22T13:07:51Z")

</div>



---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Mehrbod\_Estaki](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/mehrbod_estaki/32/4001_2.png) [@Mehrbod\_Estaki](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Mehrbod_Estaki)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/4 "2018-05-22T17:42:50Z")

</div>

HI @mshelomi,

The manifest file is just a simple csv file with 3 specific columns in it and is used to import already demultiplexed files. Have you had a chance going over the [manifest import tutorial](https://docs.qiime2.org/2018.4/tutorials/importing/#fastq-manifest-formats) yet? I think it covers all your questions pretty well.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![thermokarst](https://forum.qiime2.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@thermokarst](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/thermokarst)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/5 "2018-05-22T17:44:56Z")

</div>



---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/mshelomi/32/1721_2.png) [@mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/mshelomi)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/7 "2018-05-23T04:31:16Z")

</div>

Thanks, but the link did not help.

The error I am getting is that my file is not a "FastqManifestFormat"

The link you sent, [Importing data — QIIME 2 2018.4.0 documentation](https://docs.qiime2.org/2018.4/tutorials/importing/#fastq-manifest-formats), lists only four possible formats:  
SingleEndFastqManifestPhred33  
SingleEndFastqManifestPhred64  
PairedEndFastqManifestPhred33  
PairedEndFastqManifestPhred64

My csv is in the format you described, and attached. [MANIFEST.csv](https://cdck-file-uploads-global.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/qiime21/original/2X/d/d8a7852f9b04d02555596be6afd79b5d85c320cd.csv) (19.8 KB)

The import page also makes no mention of metadata requirements or the fact that it must be in yaml format… sometimes. There is no mention of the format the filename must take, or the sample-name.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Mehrbod\_Estaki](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/mehrbod_estaki/32/4001_2.png) [@Mehrbod\_Estaki](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Mehrbod_Estaki)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/8 "2018-05-23T05:05:54Z")

</div>

Hi @mshelomi,

Sorry you're still stuck on this and thanks for providing the manifest file!

There are 2 things I can see that would get in the way of a successful import at the moment.

> [@mshelomi](#):
>
> I have clean, quality controlled, fastq files named like A02.T0.fastq that start like this

If this is correct, then your files are not gzipped, however the file-paths you provided in your manifest are looking for gzipped format files. For this you need to either gzip your individual files first, or correct the manifest file by removing the .gz extensions. The manifest type import will then automatically gzip the files itself.

The second thing I noticed was that in your manifest file your sample-ids are all unique instead of being paired. For example

A02T0-1 \<- forward reads  
A02T0-2 \<-reverse reads

need to have an identical sample-id (ex. A02TO) so the script knows they belong to the same sample.

When these are fixed the following command should work 🤞:

```
qiime tools import \
  --type 'SampleData[PairedEndSequencesWithQuality]' \
  --input-path MANIFEST.csv \
  --output-path pe-demux.qza\
  --source-format PairedEndFastqManifestPhred33

```

Here I am guessing that your format is Phred33 as most recent illumina sequencers are, but you could double check that with your sequencing facility/operator.

> [@mshelomi](#):
>
> The import page also makes no mention of metadata requirements

The metadata file which provides environmental information about your samples is not required at the import step. Instead it is provided separately downstream as needed, depending on the analysis you are looking to do. More details, including its formatting and validation are explained [here](https://docs.qiime2.org/2018.4/tutorials/metadata/).

Hope this helps!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/mshelomi/32/1721_2.png) [@mshelomi](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/mshelomi)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/9 "2018-05-23T12:49:05Z")

</div>

Thanks.  
I can now import the files.  
Unfortunately the resulting .qza of raw files cannot be demux'ed because it "is not a subtype of EMPPairedEndSequences | EMPSingleEndSequences | RawSequences"  
Unfortunately the resulting .qza of clean files cannot be aligned because it "is not a subtype of FeatureData[Sequence]"

But that is a separate question. Thanks for the help so far!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://forum-qiime2-org.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/3X/2/1/21af5fe23cb6f4579467c66a9ed94e55274ca7bd.svg) [@system](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/unknown-input-file-format/4238/10 "2018-06-23T18:49:07Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 31 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.