Re: Command consistency: suggestion

[Paul Jewell via "Development of GNU Guix and the GNU System distribution." <guix-devel@gnu.org>]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for the input - comments at the bottom:

On 11/01/2023 22:51, Simon Tournier wrote:

> 
> It is often discussed. :-) Well, ‘guix package’ uses SRFI-37 [2] and it
> is possible to combine some action; as --switch-generation and
> --delete-generations for instance.  Aside note that one transaction can
> install and remove:
> 
>      guix package -i foo -r bar
> 
> which would not be possible when using single action.
> 
> The CLI of ‘guix package’ will not change, IMHO.  The mitigation of what
> you are considering as an inconsistency is to have “alias“; guix search,
> guix, install, guix remove, etc.
> 
> Last, we could imagine a Guix extension [3] and then (not checked :-))
> maybe the user could opt in and install this extension for replacement.
> 
> 2: <https://www.gnu.org/software/guile/manual/html_node/SRFI_002d37.html>
> 3: <https://10years.guix.gnu.org/video/guix-repl-to-infinity-and-beyond>
> 
> Cheers,
> simon


I hadn't considered (or even known about) the multiple commands 
possibility. Maybe for consistency then guix system should also work the 
same way as guix package -

guix system --list-generations

This is how I tripped over this problem initially, because of course 
this doesn't work!

Doing it this way could also allow multiple actions in one line:

guix system --switch-generation ... --delete-generation ...

but I am reading into your comment that guix system does _not_ use 
SRFI-37, and therefore cannot combine actions. In other words, it would 
take more effort to implement this change?

I suppose for those of you who have been in guix for several years, this 
is no issue, since you are familiar with all the different options. to 
me, as a relative newcomer, it didn't feel so smooth. If nothing changes 
I shall not be resorting to aliases, but simply making sure I know the 
correct syntax to achieve what I want!

Best regards,
Paul

(who has finally got his Guix system laptop working as expected)