lix/src/nix/repl.md
Qyriad 194ba8a02f docs: guide to installables docs in installable commands' docs
The installables syntax is not documented in any of the man pages or
docbook pages for any of those individual commands. And while these
commands really should at least peripherally individually document how
installables work, in the meantime we can at least direct people to the
right place.

This commit also clarifies the unexpected fact that `nix profile remove`
and `nix profile upgrade` do *not* take installables.

Change-Id: I3b1453cb197a613bbab639c66a466365c3592c6d
2024-04-29 08:06:05 -06:00

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Note: this command's interface is based heavily around installables, which you may want to read about first (nix --help).

Examples

  • Display all special commands within the REPL:

    # nix repl
    nix-repl> :?
    
  • Evaluate some simple Nix expressions:

    # nix repl
    
    nix-repl> 1 + 2
    3
    
    nix-repl> map (x: x * 2) [1 2 3]
    [ 2 4 6 ]
    
  • Interact with Nixpkgs in the REPL:

    # nix repl --file example.nix
    Loading Installable ''...
    Added 3 variables.
    
    # nix repl --expr '{a={b=3;c=4;};}'
    Loading Installable ''...
    Added 1 variables.
    
    # nix repl --expr '{a={b=3;c=4;};}' a
    Loading Installable ''...
    Added 1 variables.
    
    # nix repl --extra-experimental-features 'flakes repl-flake' nixpkgs
    Loading Installable 'flake:nixpkgs#'...
    Added 5 variables.
    
    nix-repl> legacyPackages.x86_64-linux.emacs.name
    "emacs-27.1"
    
    nix-repl> legacyPackages.x86_64-linux.emacs.name
    "emacs-27.1"
    
    nix-repl> :q
    
    # nix repl --expr 'import <nixpkgs>{}'
    
    Loading Installable ''...
    Added 12439 variables.
    
    nix-repl> emacs.name
    "emacs-27.1"
    
    nix-repl> emacs.drvPath
    "/nix/store/lp0sjrhgg03y2n0l10n70rg0k7hhyz0l-emacs-27.1.drv"
    
    nix-repl> drv = runCommand "hello" { buildInputs = [ hello ]; } "hello; hello > $out"
    
    nix-repl> :b drv
    this derivation produced the following outputs:
      out -> /nix/store/0njwbgwmkwls0w5dv9mpc1pq5fj39q0l-hello
    
    nix-repl> builtins.readFile drv
    "Hello, world!\n"
    
    nix-repl> :log drv
    Hello, world!
    

Description

This command provides an interactive environment for evaluating Nix expressions. (REPL stands for 'readevalprint loop'.)

On startup, it loads the Nix expressions named files and adds them into the lexical scope. You can load addition files using the :l <filename> command, or reload all files using :r.

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