Should 'build-expression->derivation' be used for new build systems?

Should 'build-expression->derivation' be used for new build systems?

[Alex Vong]

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Hello,

I noticed that in the (guix derivations) module,
'build-expression->derivation' is marked as deprecated. However, I see
that all build systems currently living in the (guix build-system ...)
namespaces are still using it. Is this intended or will this be changed
eventually? If this is going to change, is there an example to follow?

Cheers,
Alex

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Re: Should 'build-expression->derivation' be used for new build systems?

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hello Alex,

Alex Vong <alexvong1995@gmail.com> skribis:

> I noticed that in the (guix derivations) module,
> 'build-expression->derivation' is marked as deprecated. However, I see
> that all build systems currently living in the (guix build-system ...)
> namespaces are still using it. Is this intended or will this be changed
> eventually? If this is going to change, is there an example to follow?

For now, you have to use it.

The story of ‘build-expression->derivation’ is that of an unfinished
transition to G-expressions.  :-)

There’s a branch called ‘wip-build-systems-gexp’ that aims to complete
that transition, but I haven’t yet gotten around to actually finishing
the work.  This is one of the things I want us to complete for 1.0
though, so sooner rather than later.

Thanks,
Ludo’.

Re: Should 'build-expression->derivation' be used for new build systems?

[Joshua Branson]

ludo@gnu.org (Ludovic Courtès) writes:

> Hello Alex,
>
> Alex Vong <alexvong1995@gmail.com> skribis:
>
>> I noticed that in the (guix derivations) module,
>> 'build-expression->derivation' is marked as deprecated. However, I see
>> that all build systems currently living in the (guix build-system ...)
>> namespaces are still using it. Is this intended or will this be changed
>> eventually? If this is going to change, is there an example to follow?
>
> For now, you have to use it.
>
> The story of ‘build-expression->derivation’ is that of an unfinished
> transition to G-expressions.  :-)
>
> There’s a branch called ‘wip-build-systems-gexp’ that aims to complete
> that transition, but I haven’t yet gotten around to actually finishing
> the work.  This is one of the things I want us to complete for 1.0
> though, so sooner rather than later.

May I ask why the transition?  Just curious.

>
> Thanks,
> Ludo’.

Re: Should 'build-expression->derivation' be used for new build systems?

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hello,

Joshua Branson <jbranso@fastmail.com> skribis:

> ludo@gnu.org (Ludovic Courtès) writes:

[...]

>> The story of ‘build-expression->derivation’ is that of an unfinished
>> transition to G-expressions.  :-)
>>
>> There’s a branch called ‘wip-build-systems-gexp’ that aims to complete
>> that transition, but I haven’t yet gotten around to actually finishing
>> the work.  This is one of the things I want us to complete for 1.0
>> though, so sooner rather than later.
>
> May I ask why the transition?  Just curious.

G-expressions address shortcomings of plain s-expressions when used to
write build expressions as in Guix and for code generation in general
(“code staging”); see:

  https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/G_002dExpressions.html
  https://hal.inria.fr/hal-01580582/en

Ludo’.