Resource File

A resource file is an ASCII text file that keeps track of the parameters that the user specifies in using the programs. The same file is read and updated by all the programs in the suite. You can specify a resource file using the -R option. It is qtlcart.rc by default and should be in the directory that you are currently working in (for UNIX machines) or where the binaries are (for PCs and Macintoshes). If you change any options (either via the command line or the menus), they will be saved to the file specified. If you decide to use a file other than qtlcart.rc as the resource file, you will need to specify it for each program you run.

Initially, the user may want to create a resource file with two lines to specify the working directory and a ``stem'' for filenames. Here is an example of a resource file for the Macintosh version of the programs:

-workdir      ::test:        # (The working directory)
-stem         corn           # (Stem for filenames)

The working directory must be specified according to the rules of the operating system. This was explained in using the -W option in previous section. In the above example, a relative pathname was used. The programs will assume that there is a folder called test in the folder one level up from the folder that the applications reside in. The analogous lines for the MS-Windows version would look like:

-workdir      ..\test\        # (The working directory)
-stem         corn            # (Stem for filenames)

The working directory must exist before you run QTL Cartographer.