Feature Request: Nested sections in tool_conf.xml - galaxy-dev

30 Aug 2012


      Dear Galaxy Developers,
First, thanks for the great work. Galaxy is a amazingly well architected  and extraordinary useful system. 
Of course, I have a feature request to make it even more perfect ;-)  The list of tool sections is already very long. It would be nice to organize the sections in nested sections.   For example:
<toolbox>
   <section name="Percussive Hammer" id="hammer">
       <section name="hand hammers" id="hammer">
           <tool file="Air" id="Air hammer">
           <tool file="Blacksmith" id="Blacksmith hammer">
           <tool file="Body" id="Body hammer">
           <tool file="Bossing mallet" id="Bossing mallet">
           <tool file="Brass" id="Brass hammer">
           <tool file="Brass" id="Brass hammer">
           <tool file="Bricklayer" id="Bricklayer hammer">
           <tool file="Bumping" id="Bumping hammer">
           <tool file="Chipping" id="Chipping hammer">
           <tool file="Claw" id="Claw hammer">
           <tool file="Copper-faced" id="Copper-faced hammer">
           <tool file="Finish" id="Finish hammer">
           <tool file="Nail" id="Nail hammer">
           <tool file="Nylon" id="Nylon hammer">
           <tool file="Panel" id="Panel hammer">
           <tool file="Pick" id="Pick hammer">
           <tool file="Planishing" id="Planishing hammer">
           <tool file="Ripping" id="Ripping hammer">
           <tool file="Riveting" id="Riveting hammer">
           <tool file="Rotary" id="Rotary hammer">
           <tool file="Rubber mallet" id="Rubber mallet">
           <tool file="Shingler's" id="Shingler's hammer">
           <tool file="Shrinking" id="Shrinking hammer">
           <tool file="Sledge" id="Sledge hammer">
           <tool file="Slide" id="Slide hammer">
           <tool file="Tack" id="Tack hammer">
           <tool file="Tinners" id="Tinner's hammer">
           <tool file="Wooden_mallet" id="Wooden mallet">
       </section>
       <section name="Power hammer" id="power_hammer">
           <tool file="Jack Hammer " id="jackhammer">
           <tool file="Electromechanical Hammer " id="e_jackhammer">
           <tool file="Pneumatic Hammer " id="p_jackhammer">
           <tool file="Hydraulic Hammer " id="h_jackhammer">
       </section>
       .. etc ..
   </section>
   <section name="Wrenches" id="wrenches">
       <section name="Power wrench" id="power_wrench">
           .. etc ..
       </section>
       <section name="hand wrench" id="hand_wrench">
           .. etc ..
       </section>
   </section>
</toolbox>
BTW,  Its great that tools can conveniently be in more than one section!  This makes it every useful to group common tasks together.
Best regards,
Ted