Talk:BAM (file format)

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Requested move 9 April 2025

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: page moved. Beland (talk) 22:26, 10 June 2025 (UTC) Reply

Binary Alignment Map → BAM (file format) – Redirect exists at the preferred title and move is contested by @Pppery: but unclear why — Vivek Rai (talk) 22:59, 8 April 2025 (UTC) This is a contested technical request (permalink). Vivek Rai (talk) 23:54, 9 April 2025 (UTC) — Relisting. Komodo (talk) 19:04, 4 May 2025 (UTC) Reply

The change would make it WP:CONSISTENT with SAM (file format) and CRAM (file format) which are currently existing pages capturing similar information. Also, in the field, this file format is rarely, if ever, called a "binary alignment map" file. BAM is the colloquial and popular way to refer it and would not make sense if SAM (file format) or CRAM (file format) exist as such at the moment. Move was initiated by @Intrisit: but later reverted. Vivek Rai (talk) 23:55, 9 April 2025 (UTC) Reply

Oppose per WP:Article titles#Avoid ambiguous abbreviations/WP:NATURALDIS. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 23:59, 9 April 2025 (UTC) Reply

Comment I appreciate that you re-stated your reasoning and citing WP:TITLE#Avoid ambiguous abbreviations and WP:NATURALDIS. I understand the general preference for unambiguous, natural titles; however, there are strong factors to consider here for the proposed move (esp. considering the further context and examples I have included in my reply above). So, if could you elaborate on the following below, that'd be a constructive path forward:

• Wikipedia:Common name The term "BAM" is overwhelmingly the primary and most recognizable name for this file format within the relevant scientific community (bioinformatics, genomics). "Binary Alignment Map" is rarely, if ever, used in practice, documentation, or software. WP:TITLE guidance often prioritizes recognizability and common usage. How should the near-universal usage of "BAM" be weighed against the general avoidance of abbreviations?
• WP:CONSISTENT: The proposed title BAM (file format) aligns directly with the existing, established titles for its companion formats, SAM (file format) and CRAM (file format). Maintaining consistency among these closely related topics seems crucial for user navigation and understanding. Does the preference for natural disambiguation override the benefit of consistency in this established set of articles?

Given these points, the parenthetical "(file format)" seems to effectively address the ambiguity concern, specifically targeting the correct subject, much like it does for SAM and CRAM. Vivek Rai (talk) 01:52, 10 April 2025 (UTC) Reply

@Pppery Given the unavailability of an uninvolved editor for closing and further discussion here on this topic, would you be interested in withdrawing your contention if you feel a consensus has been reached? If not, that's fine and we can continue to wait for someone to come along (or further discussion). Cheers! Komodo (talk) 10:02, 4 May 2025 (UTC) Reply

No. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 14:20, 4 May 2025 (UTC) Reply

Pppery, Okay sure. I have tried re-listing it for now. I wasn't sure if you're still involved since there was no further reply or attempt do address the comments in the discussion after your first vote. — Komodo (talk) 19:10, 4 May 2025 (UTC) Reply

Support per WP:CONSISTENT as noted above. I appreciate we should avoid ambiguous abbreviations but in my experience 'BAM' is by far the most common way to refer to these files. Amkilpatrick (talk) 09:14, 10 April 2025 (UTC) Reply

Support any variety with BAM + disambiguation w/ preference for naturalness. My searching shows that it is common to refer to these as BAM files much like any other file format. Though, I find it hard to decipher what exactly 'common name' means for such a niche topic. There are some other varieties to consider too: .BAM, .bam file, BAM format, etc. These too are more natural disambiguations from other articles at BAM.

Consistency is a weak argument here as you could equally validly argue SAM (file format) and CRAM (file format) should be at Sequence alignment map and Compressed reference-oriented alignment map to match Binary Alignment Map on the basis of consistency. You could also look to the titling of other biology-related file formats and see that neither proposed title is consistent with all others listed there. ⇌ Syn path 17:01, 10 April 2025 (UTC) Reply

Relisting comment: Relisting for more discussion re: continue contention and lack of editor to resolve consensus Komodo (talk) 19:04, 4 May 2025 (UTC) Reply

Note: WikiProject Molecular Biology has been notified of this discussion. Komodo (talk) 19:04, 4 May 2025 (UTC) Reply

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