Qiime2 Version - not able to do multiple states

[callaband]

Working on doing CTF using the qiime2 CLI, but got an error I don't quite understand.

!qiime gemelli ctf \
    --i-table  ../data/Microbiome/pool_filtered/RPCA/gemelli_filtered.qza \
    --m-sample-metadata-file ../data/Microbiome/14577_fixed.txt \
    --m-feature-metadata-file ../../shotgun_scripts/woltka_v2_taxonomy.qza \
    --p-state-column timepoint_number \
    --p-state-column timepoint_group \
    --p-individual-id-column marmoset_id \
    --output-dir ../data/Microbiome/pool_filtered/ctf-results

Error: (1/1?) Option '--p-state-column' was specified multiple times in the command.

But...

 --p-state-column TEXT  Metadata column containing state (e.g.,Time,
                         BodySite) across which samples are paired. At least
                         one is required but up to four are allowed by other
                         state inputs.                              [required]

So how do I specify more than one state?
--p-state-column timepoint_number,timepoint_group \
also did not work.

@gibsramen dug into this a bit, but sounds like it might not actually allow multiple states

[gibsramen]

I think this line:

gemelli/gemelli/ctf.py

Line 623 in 28d4184

[state_column],

is intended to allow multiple states but there does not seem to be a way to pass multiple states in that are coerced properly. I think a possible solution is to first check if the parameter passed to state_column is a list or a string and proceed accordingly. I am not sure how this could be integrated into Q2 as I don't know how they handled multiple arguments for the same parameter.

[cameronmartino]

Thanks @callaband & @gibsramen. I think this is just a case of a maybe poorly worded parameter that is passed across the Q2 and standalone commands. The QIIME2 frame can not have variable outputs (from what I know) so there can not be variable state inputs. So what you are trying in QIIME2 is currently not possible in the current framework. The standalone command can do multiple states and will output variable outputs based on that.

[gibsramen]

Excellent, thanks!