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Nix Code Maintenance Guide

This readme provides documentation for the nix code.

The target audience includes current and future maintainers.

Start with the comments inside the flake then continue reading here.

The standard format of nix files

Note how every single nix file in this repository (with the exception of flake.nix) has the same format:

{ inputs, cell }: ...

There is no escaping this.

A description of the arguments follows:

  • inputs.self
    This is a path pointing to the top-level of the repository.
    It is the only way to reference source files inside the repository.
    Example: { src = inputs.self + /plutus-core; }

  • inputs.cells
    Provides access to all cells.
    Remember that a cell is named after its folder.
    The full format is: inputs.cells.<cell>.<cell-block>.value.
    Examples:

    • inputs.cells.plutus.packages.read-the-docs-site
    • inputs.cells.plutus.devshells.plutus-shell
    • inputs.cells.plutus.library.agda-packages

  • inputs.<flake-input>
    The flake inputs proper.
    Examples: inputs.std, inputs.nixpkgs, inputs.sphinxcontrib-haddock

  • cell.<cell-block>
    Provides access to the cell's blocks.
    This is a shorthand for inputs.cells.<cell>.<cell-block>, where <cell> evaluates to the cell housing this nix file.
    Examples:

    • cell.library.agda-packages only works for code in /cells/plutus
      Alternatively inputs.cells.plutus.library.agda-packages works everywhere
    • cell.packages.hlint only works for code in /cells/plutus
      Alternatively inputs.cells.plutus.packages.hlint works everywhere

One derivation per nix file

To enforce further discipline, we enact a one-derivation-per-file policy.

This is currently applied without exception.

This means that every single nix file in this repository is either:

  • A default.nix cell block importing and thus grouping all files in its folder
  • A <cell-block>.nix cell block exporting an attrs with a single derivation
  • A file evaluating to a single derivation

Further, we enforce that the nix fragment name be equal to the file name.

This means that if one looks at the fully expanded structure of the cellsFrom folder, one will conclude that there are exactly as many fragments as there are nix files (excluding the default.nix files, which again merely act as a grouper for the cell block).

Finally this means that for each nix file some-fragment.nix, one can run: nix (develop|build|run) .#some-fragment

That is unless the relevant cell block was not exposed in flake.nix.

Note however that the one-derivation-per-file policy stated above only holds for the packages and devshells cell blocks.

Other cell blocks (for example library or pipelines) host nix files that evaluate to functions, literal values, or more complex attribute sets.

While these blocks are not exposed directly to the flake (they are not "harvested"), they can still be accessed using this syntax:

nix (develop|build|run) .#<system>.<cell>.<cell-block>.<valid.attr.path>

For example: nix run .#x86-64-darwin.plutus.library.agda-project.hsPkgs.Agda

Reference example

As an example, consider the file ./nix/cells/plutus/packages/eutxo-paper.nix:

  • ./nix/cells is the cellsFrom value in flake.nix
  • /plutus is the cell name
  • /plutus/* are accessible via cell.* from { inputs, cell } (while inside cells/plutus)
  • /plutus/* are accessible via inputs.cells.plutus.* (everywhere)
  • /packages is the cell block name
  • /packages/* are accessible via cell.packages.* (while inside cells/plutus)
  • /packages/* are accessible via inputs.cells.plutus.packages.* (everywhere)
  • /eutxo-paper.nix contains a single derivation
  • eutxo-paper is the name of the flake fragment
  • A derivation named eutxo-paper is accessible via cell.packages.eutxo-paper (while inside cells/plutus)
  • And also accessible via inputs.cells.plutus.packages.eutxo-paper (everywhere)
  • And also buildable via nix build .#eutxo-paper

As another example, consider the file ./nix/cells/plutus/library/default.nix

  • ./nix/cells is the cellsFrom value in flake.nix
  • /plutus is the cell name
  • /plutus/* are accessible via cell.* from { inputs, cell } (while inside cells/plutus)
  • /plutus/* are accessible via inputs.cells.plutus.* (everywhere)
  • /library is the cell block name
  • /library/* are accessible via cell.library.* (while inside cells/plutus)
  • /library/* are accessible via inputs.cells.library.devshellCommands.* (everywhere)
  • /default.nix imports every file in its directory
  • /default.nix contains a derivation for each file in its directory
  • Each attrs field in /default.nix is named after the file it imports (minus the .nix)