Re: Build systems and implicit inputs

[zimoun <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com>]

Hi Ludo,

On Tue, 21 Jan 2020 at 11:56, Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org> wrote:

> > The solution to your problem in my opinion is simply to expose just the
> > right amount of options through #:arguments for all build systems.
> > Would that be satisfactory to you?
>
> I think the issue of tweaking the build system and its implicit inputs
> must be addressed separately.  We first need a good API to do that.
> When we have it, it’ll be nice and easy to drive it via package
> parameters.  :-)

Now I have a better understanding about "package parameters", I agree
that it is 2 separate stories.


> Currently each build system has ad-hoc keyword parameters to customize
> its implicit inputs: #:python for ‘python-build-system’, #:cmake for
> ‘cmake-build-system’, #:implicit-inputs? for ‘gnu-build-system’, etc.
>
> For each of them, it would be quite easy to provide a procedure that
> takes a list of implicit inputs and returns a <build-system>.  It may
> not be all that convenient, and perhaps a bit too ad-hoc still.

I was inclined for this option. :-)


> Another option would be to make implicit inputs a field of
> <build-system>.

Not sure to understand...

> Needs more thought!

...so yes! :-)


Cheers,
simon