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doc: Reword description of 'inputs' & co. 

* doc/guix.texi (package Reference): Reword explanation of 'inputs',
'native-inputs', and 'propagated-inputs'.  Add example.
master
Ludovic Courtès 2015-12-13 14:42:38 +01:00
parent f7e4ae7f45
commit 70650c684a
1 changed files with 34 additions and 22 deletions
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@ -2263,34 +2263,46 @@ The arguments that should be passed to the build system. This is a
list, typically containing sequential keyword-value pairs.
@item @code{inputs} (default: @code{'()})
Package or derivation inputs to the build. This is a list of lists,
where each list has the name of the input (a string) as its first
element, a package or derivation object as its second element, and
optionally the name of the output of the package or derivation that
should be used, which defaults to @code{"out"}.
@itemx @code{native-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
@itemx @code{propagated-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
@cindex inputs, of packages
These fields list dependencies of the package. Each one is a list of
tuples, where each tuple has a label for the input (a string) as its
first element, a package, origin, or derivation as its second element,
and optionally the name of the output thereof that should be used, which
defaults to @code{"out"} (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}, for
more on package outputs). For example, the list below specifies 3
inputs:
@item @anchor{package-propagated-inputs}@code{propagated-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
@cindex propagated inputs
This field is like @code{inputs}, but the specified packages will be
force-installed alongside the package they belong to
(@pxref{package-cmd-propagated-inputs, @command{guix package}}, for
information on how @command{guix package} deals with propagated inputs.)
@example
`(("libffi" ,libffi)
("libunistring" ,libunistring)
("glib:bin" ,glib "bin")) ;the "bin" output of Glib
@end example
@cindex cross compilation, package dependencies
The distinction between @code{native-inputs} and @code{inputs} is
necessary when considering cross-compilation. When cross-compiling,
dependencies listed in @code{inputs} are built for the @emph{target}
architecture; conversely, dependencies listed in @code{native-inputs}
are built for the architecture of the @emph{build} machine.
@code{native-inputs} is typically where you would list tools needed at
build time but not at run time, such as Autoconf, Automake, pkg-config,
Gettext, or Bison. @command{guix lint} can report likely mistakes in
this area (@pxref{Invoking guix lint}).
@anchor{package-propagated-inputs}
Lastly, @code{propagated-inputs} is similar to @code{inputs}, but the
specified packages will be force-installed alongside the package they
belong to (@pxref{package-cmd-propagated-inputs, @command{guix
package}}, for information on how @command{guix package} deals with
propagated inputs.)
For example this is necessary when a library needs headers of another
library to compile, or needs another shared library to be linked
alongside itself when a program wants to link to it.
@item @code{native-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
This field is like @code{inputs}, but in case of a cross-compilation it
will be ensured that packages for the architecture of the build machine
are present, such that executables from them can be used during the
build.
This is typically where you would list tools needed at build time but
not at run time, such as Autoconf, Automake, pkg-config, Gettext, or
Bison. @command{guix lint} can report likely mistakes in this area
(@pxref{Invoking guix lint}).
@item @code{self-native-input?} (default: @code{#f})
This is a Boolean field telling whether the package should use itself as
a native input when cross-compiling.