Short read de novo assembler using de Bruijn graphs, as published in: D.R. Zerbino and E. Birney. 2008. Velvet: algorithms for de novo short read assembly using de Bruijn graphs. Genome Research, 18: 821-829
Star History
Momentum
+10
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
1
PER DAY
#45
MOST-STARRED C
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +7 | +10 | +90 |
| Per day | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forks gained | +1 | +3 | +10 |
velvet gained 10 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 297. It is about 18 years old and has averaged roughly 17 stars a year. It ranks #45 among C repositories and #4,488 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
4
DAYS ON TRENDING
#2548
BEST RANK
Sep 25, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
velvet has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #2548. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
velvet is an open-source project written in C: Short read de novo assembler using de Bruijn graphs, as published in: D.R. Zerbino and E. Birney. 2008. Velvet: algorithms for de novo short read assembly using de Bruijn graphs. Genome Research, 18: 821-829.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in C. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/dzerbino/velvet.git
cd velvet⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C99 or C11 compiler with CMake / make
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
velvet coordinates its core functionality through a modular C pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed velvet into C backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open GPL-2.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install velvet using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/dzerbino/velvet.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for velvet.
Import velvet into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `velvet --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
dzerbino/velvet is currently ranked #4,488 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4,480 | Koenvh1/ets2-local-radio | JavaScript | ★ 298 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,480 | aws/aws-tools-for-powershell | C# | ★ 298 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,480 | h0x91b/dev-3.0 | TypeScript | ★ 298 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,480 | adamgell/cmtraceopen | Rust | ★ 298 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,480 | DonkeyCut/Donkey | TypeScript | ★ 298 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,488 | dzerbino/velvet This Project | C | ★ 297 | |
| #4,488 | redinger/validation_reflection | Ruby | ★ 297 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,488 | weppos/tabs_on_rails | Ruby | ★ 297 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,488 | mwilliamson/java-mammoth | Java | ★ 297 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,488 | rhymix/rhymix | PHP | ★ 297 | Compare ↗ |
| #4,488 | Robosturm/Commander_Wars | C++ | ★ 297 | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does velvet do? +
Short read de novo assembler using de Bruijn graphs, as published in: D.R. Zerbino and E. Birney. 2008. Velvet: algorithms for de novo short read assembly using de Bruijn graphs. Genome Research, 18: 821-829
What language is velvet written in? +
The primary language is C. Topics include: software.
Is velvet actively maintained? +
Yes, the last recorded push was on Oct 13, 2025 with 4 open issues being tracked.
How many stars does velvet have? +
velvet has 297 stars and 100 forks on GitHub.
How does velvet rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 297 stars, dzerbino/velvet is ranked #4,488 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #45 among C projects.
What license is velvet distributed under? +
The repository reports a GPL-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
