From 0eababb5f7eadc96bdca55239ae63f926b295c61 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Robert Hensing Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:55:23 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] doc: Edit Co-authored-by: Valentin Gagarin --- doc/manual/src/language/values.md | 20 +++++++++++--------- 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/values.md b/doc/manual/src/language/values.md index d15d52e73..2dd52b379 100644 --- a/doc/manual/src/language/values.md +++ b/doc/manual/src/language/values.md @@ -94,11 +94,10 @@ *Paths* are distinct from strings and can be expressed by path literals such as `./builder.sh`. - Paths are the preferred type for referring to local files. - This is thanks to the following properties: - - Path values are always in a canonical form, so that you are relieved from trailing slashes, `.` and `..`. - - Path literals are automatically resolved [relative to the file](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-base-directory). - - Path values are automatically copied into the Nix store when used in a string interpolation or concatenation. + Paths are suitable for referring to local files, and are often preferable over strings. + - Path values do not contain trailing slashes, `.` and `..`, as they are resolved when evaluating a path literal. + - Path literals are automatically resolved relative to their [base directory](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-base-directory). + - The files referred to by path values are automatically copied into the Nix store when used in a string interpolation or concatenation. - Tooling can recognize path literals and provide additional features, such as autocompletion, refactoring automation and jump-to-file. A path literal must contain at least one slash to be recognised as such. @@ -106,10 +105,13 @@ it's parsed as an expression that selects the attribute `sh` from the variable `builder`. Path literals may also refer to absolute paths by starting with a slash. - This is generally not recommended, because it makes the expression less portable. - In the case where a path literal is translated into an absolute path string for a configuration file, it is recommended to just use strings. - This avoids some confusion about whether files at that location will be used during evaluation, - and it avoids unintentional situations where some function might try to copy everything at the location into the store. + + > **Note** + > + > Absolute paths make expressions less portable. + > In the case where a function translates a path literal into an absolute path string for a configuration file, it is recommended to write a string literal instead. + > This avoids some confusion about whether files at that location will be used during evaluation. + > It also avoids unintentional situations where some function might try to copy everything at the location into the store. If the first component of a path is a `~`, it is interpreted such that the rest of the path were relative to the user's home directory. For example, `~/foo` would be equivalent to `/home/edolstra/foo` for a user whose home directory is `/home/edolstra`.