> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://documentation.dnanexus.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://documentation.dnanexus.com/developer/building-and-executing-portable-containers-for-bioinformatics-software.md). # Developing Portable Pipelines [Workflow Description Language (WDL)](https://github.com/openwdl/wdl/blob/legacy/versions/1.1/SPEC.md) is a portable, open standard for specifying data processing workflows. WDL makes it straightforward to define complex analysis tasks, chain them together in workflows, and parallelize their execution. [Common Workflow Language (CWL)](https://www.commonwl.org/) is a portable, open standard for describing how to run command line tools and how to connect them to run workflows. CWL makes it straightforward to scale complex data analysis workflows from a single workstation to larger cloud or high performance computing environments. The recorded webinars below show how to use WDL and Docker to develop locally, then migrate your pipelines to the DNAnexus Platform. The material includes * An [overview](https://youtu.be/0kDgTyA8Yw4?t=124) of the DNAnexus Platform, and an [introduction](https://youtu.be/0kDgTyA8Yw4?t=266) to building workflows on the platform * An [introduction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kDgTyA8Yw4\&t=719s) to Docker, Docker best practices and [ways to use](https://youtu.be/WGkDu0d8jCc?t=372) Docker images on the platform * An [introduction](https://youtu.be/WGkDu0d8jCc?t=587) to writing workflows in WDL and [running](https://youtu.be/WGkDu0d8jCc?t=2755) them on the platform. The dxWDL tool used in the webinar to compile WDL workflows for execution on the platform has been replaced by the [dxCompiler](/developer/dxcompiler.md). {% embed url="" %} {% embed url="" %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://documentation.dnanexus.com/developer/building-and-executing-portable-containers-for-bioinformatics-software.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.