What it does
This tool joins multiple tabular files based on a common key column.
Example
To join three files, based on the 4th column, and keeping the 7th,8th,9th columns:
First file (AAA):
chr4 888449 890171 FBtr0308778 0 + 266 1527 1722 chr4 972167 979017 FBtr0310651 0 - 3944 6428 6850 chr4 972186 979017 FBtr0089229 0 - 3944 6428 6831 chr4 972186 979017 FBtr0089231 0 - 3944 6428 6831 chr4 972186 979017 FBtr0089233 0 - 3944 6428 6831 chr4 995793 996435 FBtr0111046 0 + 7 166 642 chr4 995793 997931 FBtr0111044 0 + 28 683 2138 chr4 995793 997931 FBtr0111045 0 + 28 683 2138 chr4 1034029 1047719 FBtr0089223 0 - 5293 13394 13690 ...
Second File (BBB):
chr4 90286 134453 FBtr0309803 0 + 657 29084 44167 chr4 251355 266499 FBtr0089116 0 + 56 1296 15144 chr4 252050 266506 FBtr0308086 0 + 56 1296 14456 chr4 252050 266506 FBtr0308087 0 + 56 1296 14456 chr4 252053 266528 FBtr0300796 0 + 56 1296 14475 chr4 252053 266528 FBtr0300800 0 + 56 1296 14475 chr4 252055 266528 FBtr0300798 0 + 56 1296 14473 chr4 252055 266528 FBtr0300799 0 + 56 1296 14473 chr4 252541 266528 FBtr0300797 0 + 56 1296 13987 ...
Third file (CCC):
chr4 972167 979017 FBtr0310651 0 - 9927 6738 6850 chr4 972186 979017 FBtr0089229 0 - 9927 6738 6831 chr4 972186 979017 FBtr0089231 0 - 9927 6738 6831 chr4 972186 979017 FBtr0089233 0 - 9927 6738 6831 chr4 995793 996435 FBtr0111046 0 + 5 304 642 chr4 995793 997931 FBtr0111044 0 + 17 714 2138 chr4 995793 997931 FBtr0111045 0 + 17 714 2138 chr4 1034029 1047719 FBtr0089223 0 - 17646 13536 13690 ...
Joining the files, using key column 4, value columns 7,8,9 and a header line, will return:
key AAA__V7 AAA__V8 AAA__V9 BBB__V7 BBB__V8 BBB__V9 CCC__V7 CCC__V8 CCC__V9 FBtr0089116 0 0 0 56 1296 15144 0 0 0 FBtr0089223 5293 13394 13690 0 0 0 17646 13536 13690 FBtr0089229 3944 6428 6831 0 0 0 9927 6738 6831 FBtr0089231 3944 6428 6831 0 0 0 9927 6738 6831 FBtr0089233 3944 6428 6831 0 0 0 9927 6738 6831 FBtr0111044 28 683 2138 0 0 0 17 714 2138 FBtr0111045 28 683 2138 0 0 0 17 714 2138 FBtr0111046 7 166 642 0 0 0 5 304 642 FBtr0300796 0 0 0 56 1296 14475 0 0 0 ...
Input files need not be sorted.