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diff --git a/nixpkgs/doc/module-system/module-system.chapter.md b/nixpkgs/doc/module-system/module-system.chapter.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..927f66073748 --- /dev/null +++ b/nixpkgs/doc/module-system/module-system.chapter.md @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@ +# Module System {#module-system} + +## Introduction {#module-system-introduction} + +The module system is a language for handling configuration, implemented as a Nix library. + +Compared to plain Nix, it adds documentation, type checking and composition or extensibility. + +::: {.note} +This chapter is new and not complete yet. For a gentle introduction to the module system, in the context of NixOS, see [Writing NixOS Modules](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/unstable/index.html#sec-writing-modules) in the NixOS manual. +::: + + +## `lib.evalModules` {#module-system-lib-evalModules} + +Evaluate a set of modules. This function is typically only used once per application (e.g. once in NixOS, once in Home Manager, ...). + +### Parameters {#module-system-lib-evalModules-parameters} + +#### `modules` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-modules} + +A list of modules. These are merged together to form the final configuration. +<!-- TODO link to section about merging, TBD --> + +#### `specialArgs` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-specialArgs} + +An attribute set of module arguments that can be used in `imports`. + +This is in contrast to `config._module.args`, which is only available after all `imports` have been resolved. + +#### `class` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-class} + +If the `class` attribute is set and non-`null`, the module system will reject `imports` with a different `_class` declaration. + +The `class` value should be a string in lower [camel case](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel_case). + +If applicable, the `class` should match the "prefix" of the attributes used in (experimental) [flakes](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/new-cli/nix3-flake.html#description). Some examples are: + + - `nixos` as in `flake.nixosModules` + - `nixosTest`: modules that constitute a [NixOS VM test](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-nixos-tests) +<!-- We've only just started with `class`. You're invited to add a few more. --> + +#### `prefix` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-prefix} + +A list of strings representing the location at or below which all options are evaluated. This is used by `types.submodule` to improve error reporting and find the implicit `name` module argument. + +### Return value {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value} + +The result is an attribute set with the following attributes: + +#### `options` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-options} + +The nested attribute set of all option declarations. + +#### `config` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-config} + +The nested attribute set of all option values. + +#### `type` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-type} + +A module system type. This type is an instance of `types.submoduleWith` containing the current [`modules`](#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-modules). + +The option definitions that are typed with this type will extend the current set of modules, like [`extendModules`](#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-extendModules). + +However, the value returned from the type is just the [`config`](#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-config), like any submodule. + +If you're familiar with prototype inheritance, you can think of this `evalModules` invocation as the prototype, and usages of this type as the instances. + +This type is also available to the [`modules`](#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-modules) as the module argument `moduleType`. +<!-- TODO: document the module arguments. Using moduleType is like saying: suppose this configuration was extended. --> + +#### `extendModules` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-extendModules} + +A function similar to `evalModules` but building on top of the already passed [`modules`](#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-modules). Its arguments, `modules` and `specialArgs` are added to the existing values. + +If you're familiar with prototype inheritance, you can think of the current, actual `evalModules` invocation as the prototype, and the return value of `extendModules` as the instance. + +This functionality is also available to modules as the `extendModules` module argument. + +::: {.note} + +**Evaluation Performance** + +`extendModules` returns a configuration that shares very little with the original `evalModules` invocation, because the module arguments may be different. + +So if you have a configuration that has been (or will be) largely evaluated, almost none of the computation is shared with the configuration returned by `extendModules`. + +The real work of module evaluation happens while computing the values in `config` and `options`, so multiple invocations of `extendModules` have a particularly small cost, as long as only the final `config` and `options` are evaluated. + +If you do reference multiple `config` (or `options`) from before and after `extendModules`, evaluation performance is the same as with multiple `evalModules` invocations, because the new modules' ability to override existing configuration fundamentally requires constructing a new `config` and `options` fixpoint. +::: + +#### `_module` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-_module} + +A portion of the configuration tree which is elided from `config`. + +<!-- TODO: when markdown migration is complete, make _module docs visible again and reference _module docs. Maybe move those docs into this chapter? --> + +#### `_type` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-_type} + +A nominal type marker, always `"configuration"`. + +#### `class` {#module-system-lib-evalModules-return-value-_configurationClass} + +The [`class` argument](#module-system-lib-evalModules-param-class). |