On Wed, 19 Dec 2018 22:13:13 +0200
Efraim Flashner <efraim@flashner.co.il> wrote:

> From 8e73b5e0b7ecbac3f4c407cee407b918060b7d1b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Efraim Flashner <efraim@flashner.co.il>
> Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2018 22:08:18 +0200
> Subject: [PATCH] scripts: refresh: Allow searching recursively.
> 
> * guix/scripts/refresh.scm (refresh-recursive, list-recursive): New
> procedures.
> (show-help): Document it.
> (guix-refresh): Add flags and checks for new options.
> * doc/guix.texi (Invoking guix refresh): Document new options.
> ---
>  doc/guix.texi            | 32 +++++++++++++++++++++
>  guix/scripts/refresh.scm | 62 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 94 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
> index 20b5013fd..2888d1efb 100644
> --- a/doc/guix.texi
> +++ b/doc/guix.texi
> @@ -7370,6 +7370,22 @@ are many packages, though, for which it lacks a method to determine
>  whether a new upstream release is available.  However, the mechanism is
>  extensible, so feel free to get in touch with us to add a new method!
>  
> +@table @code
> +
> +@item --recursive
> +Consider the packages specified, and all the packages upon which they depend.
<...>
> +@item --list-recursive
> +List all the packages which one or more packages depend upon.

I think it would be nice to have some more symmetry between the names
of these options and existing options.  Initially I was confused about
what business 'guix refresh' would have in being "recursive".

'guix build --sources=transitive' seems like it behaves similarly, in
that it visits package inputs.

'guix refresh --list-dependents' is the reverse of this
'--list-recursive', but the names do not immediately suggest this to
me.

`~Eric