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author | 2017-02-22 15:29:12 +0000 | |
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committer | 2017-02-23 11:29:06 +0000 | |
commit | fc9080331c05530b19f165e8c6ec65cc1bb3782b (patch) | |
tree | 4be0bd78a016645323054ef04acbfd9283d8a05c /site/blog/_posts/2017-02-22-repository-invalidation.md | |
parent | 91430621b392bb7986fe3d2afb4b1897d744e62f (diff) |
Document skylark repositories invalidation
And blog about it :)
Fixes #1390.
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Change-Id: I138f1df0d18ab61bfa01c5bf3a3c483d33da1464
Reviewed-on: https://cr.bazel.build/8222
PiperOrigin-RevId: 148217151
MOS_MIGRATED_REVID=148217151
Diffstat (limited to 'site/blog/_posts/2017-02-22-repository-invalidation.md')
-rw-r--r-- | site/blog/_posts/2017-02-22-repository-invalidation.md | 88 |
1 files changed, 88 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/site/blog/_posts/2017-02-22-repository-invalidation.md b/site/blog/_posts/2017-02-22-repository-invalidation.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8d25dd53da --- /dev/null +++ b/site/blog/_posts/2017-02-22-repository-invalidation.md @@ -0,0 +1,88 @@ +--- +layout: posts +title: Invalidation of repository rules +--- + +[Remote repositories](/docs/external.html) are the way to use dependencies from +"outside" of the Bazel world in Bazel. Using them, you can download binaries from the +internet or use some from your own host. You can even use +[Skylark](/skylark/repository_rules.html) to define your own repository rules to depend +on a custom package manager or to implement +[auto-configuration rules](/blog/2016/03/31/autoconfiguration.html). + +This post explains when Skylark repositories are invalidated and hence when they are executed. + +## Dependencies + +The implementation attribute of the +[`repository_rule`](https://bazel.build/versions/master/docs/skylark/lib/globals.html#repository_rule) +defines a function (the _fetch_ operation) that is executed inside a +[Skyframe function](/designs/skyframe.html). This function is executed when +one of its dependencies change. + +For repository that are declared `local` (set `local = True` in the call to the +`repository_rule` function), the _fetch_ operation is performed on every call of the +Skyframe function. + +Since a lot of dependencies can trigger this execution (if any part of the `WORKSPACE` +file change for instance), a supplemental mechanism ensure that we re-execute the +_fetch_ operation only when stricly needed for non-`local` repository rules (see the +[design doc](/designs/2016/10/18/repository-invalidation.html) for more details). + +After [cr.bazel.build/8218](https://cr.bazel.build/8218) is released, Bazel will +re-perform the `fetch` operation if and only if any of the following +dependencies change: + +- Skylark files needed to define the repository rule. +- Declaration of the repository rule in the `WORKSPACE` file. +- Value of any environment variable declared with the `environ` attribute of the [`repository_rule`](https://bazel.build/versions/master/docs/skylark/lib/globals.html#repository_rule) function. The value of those environment variable can be enforced from the command line with the +[`--action_env`](/docs/command-line-reference.html#flag--action_env) flag (but this +flag will invalidate every action of the build). +- Content of any file used and referred using a label (e.g., `//mypkg:label.txt` not `mypkg/label.txt`). + +## Good practices regarding refetching + +### Declare your repository as local very carefully + +First and foremost, declaring a repository `local` should be done only for rule that +needs to be eagerly invalidated and are fast to update. For native rule, this is used only +for [`local_repository`](/docs/be/workspace.html#local_repository) and +[`new_local_repository`](/docs/be/workspace.html#new_local_repository). + +### Put all slow operation at the end, resolve dependencies first + +Since a dependency might be unresolved when asked for, the function will be executed +up to where the dependency is requested and all that part will be replayed if the +dependency is not resolved. Put those file dependencies at the top, for instance prefer + +```python +def _impl(repository_ctx): + repository_ctx.file("BUILD", repository_ctx.attr.build_file) + repository_ctx.download("BIGFILE", sha256 = "...") + +myrepo = repository_rule(_impl, attrs = {"build_file": attr.label()}) +``` + +over + +```python +def _impl(repository_ctx): + repository_ctx.download("BIGFILE") + repository_ctx.file("BUILD", repository_ctx.attr.build_file) + +myrepo = repository_rule(_impl, attrs = {"build_file": attr.label()}) +``` + +(in the later example, the download operation will be re-executed if `build_file` is not +resolved when executing the `fetch` operation). + +### Declare your environment variables + +To avoid spurious refetch of repository rules (and the impossibility of tracking all +usages of environmnent variables), only environment variables that have been declared +through the `environ` attribute of the `repository_rule` function are invalidating +the repositories. + +Therefore, if you think you should re-run if an environment variable changes (like +for auto-configuration rules), you should declare those dependencies, or your user +will have to do `bazel clean --expunge` each time they change their environment. |