From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: Robert Vollmert <rob@vllmrt.net>
Subject: Re: distinguishing between applications and libraries
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2019 22:05:58 +0200
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To: Pierre Neidhardt <mail@ambrevar.xyz>
Cc: guix-devel@gnu.org



> On 30. Jun 2019, at 20:01, Pierre Neidhardt <mail@ambrevar.xyz> wrote:
>=20
> Hi Robert!
>=20
> `guix search` and other user-facing tools ignore non-exported =
packages.
>=20
> So you can simply use `define` instead of `define-public` to declare a
> package.

Good point, but that breaks down once a library is used by a package
outside that module. E.g. consider the various ghc-* packages. Running
=E2=80=9Cguix search clock=E2=80=9D returns `ghc-clock` and =
`ocaml-mtime`. The first
needs to be public since it=E2=80=99s used elsewhere, the second is =
defined
as public anyway. Should that change?

>> - maybe there=E2=80=99s some other simplifications to make in library
>>  package definitions? I=E2=80=99d be happy to not copy over a
>>  long description that no-one=E2=80=99s ever going to read. :)
>=20
> The description does not have to be long, in fact it can be just one
> line, but it just explain what the package is here for.  Even if it is
> not exposed to the user, package maintainers will want to know why =
it's
> here.

Well the real reason why it=E2=80=99s there lies in its reverse =
dependencies, no?

Robert