diff --git a/partitioning/fast_clustering.cpp b/partitioning/fast_clustering.cpp
index dc7c23052e09f10d0ec541171240dd5143a40643..b7109f8be9328a6a130f5e85e343d11675cd86d7 100755
--- a/partitioning/fast_clustering.cpp
+++ b/partitioning/fast_clustering.cpp
@@ -57,32 +57,31 @@ std::vector<std::string> read_fastq(const std::string& filename) {
 
 std::string get_cluster_id(const std::string& read, const std::string& seq_to_find, int split_level) {
     /*
-    get the <split_level> bases following the primer in the read, check if the read is in reverse complement
+    get the <split_level> bases following the primer in the read, also try to find the primer in the reverse complement sequence
     */
 
-
-    std::string read_rc = reverse_complement(read); // reverse complement of the read sequence
-
     double score_fw, score_rc; // alignment score with the forward and reverse complement sequence
-    int x_fw, y_fw, x_rc, y_rc; //x_fw and x_rc not used
+    int x_fw, y_fw, x_rc, y_rc; // positions start and stop of the alignments found, x_fw and x_rc not used
 
     // call local alignment algorithm on the forward sequence
     SmithWaterman(read, seq_to_find, score_fw, x_fw, y_fw);
 
-    // don't test for the reverse complement if near perfect alignment already found
+    // don't test for the reverse complement if near perfect alignment already found (maximum possible score = 10)
     if (score_fw >= 9.5 && read.size() > y_fw + split_level) {
-        return read.substr(y_fw, split_level);
+        return read.substr(y_fw, split_level); // extract the cluster id
     }
 
+    std::string read_rc = reverse_complement(read); // get reverse complement of the read sequence
+
     // test local alignement with the reverse complement sequence
     SmithWaterman(read_rc, seq_to_find, score_rc, x_rc, y_rc);
 
     if (score_fw >= score_rc) { // primer found in forward sequence
-        if (score_fw >= 8 && read.size() > y_fw + split_level) {
+        if (score_fw >= 7.5 && read.size() > y_fw + split_level) {
             return read.substr(y_fw, split_level);
         }
     } else { // primer found in reverse complement sequence
-        if (score_rc >= 8 && read_rc.size() > y_rc + split_level) {
+        if (score_rc >= 7.5 && read_rc.size() > y_rc + split_level) {
             return read_rc.substr(y_rc, split_level);
         }
     }
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ std::string get_cluster_id(const std::string& read, const std::string& seq_to_fi
 
 
 void clustering(const std::string& reads_path, const std::string& start_primer, int split_level, const std::string& output_dir) {
-    /*
+    /* split_lvel = nbr of bases to use for the cluster id
     */
 
     //delete all fasta files in the clusters dir
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ void clustering(const std::string& reads_path, const std::string& start_primer,
         std::getline(input_read_file, line);
         std::getline(input_read_file, line);
 
-        // find the position fo the primer and get the bases following it
+        // find the position for the primer and get the bases following it
         std::string cluster_id = get_cluster_id(sequence, seq_to_find, split_level);
 
         if (cluster_id == "None") {
@@ -157,16 +156,11 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
     // get the input and output paths from the arguments
     std::string input_fastq = argv[1];
-    std::string output_dir = argv[2];
+    std::string output_dir = argv[2]; // must be an existing dir
 
     // start a timer
     auto start = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
 
-    std::string data_name = "100k";
-
-    input_fastq = "new_tests/"+data_name+"/shuffled_reads_"+data_name+".fastq";
-    output_dir = "new_tests/"+data_name+"/clusters_"+data_name;
-
     std::string start_primer = "GTTCAGAGTTCTACAGTCCGACGATCC";
 
     clustering(input_fastq, start_primer, 3, output_dir);