* Documented the primops.

This commit is contained in:
Eelco Dolstra 2004-04-08 15:51:26 +00:00
parent b0c9baf1b5
commit 87bf541f23
2 changed files with 102 additions and 3 deletions

View file

@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
<sect1>
<title>Grammar</title>
<para>
</para>
<productionset>
<title>Expressions</title>
@ -97,6 +94,8 @@
<nonterminal def="#nix.path" /> |
<nonterminal def="#nix.uri" />
<sbr />|
'true' | 'false' | 'null'
<sbr />|
'(' <nonterminal def="#nix.expr" /> ')'
<sbr />|
'{' <nonterminal def="#nix.bind" />* '}'
@ -180,4 +179,99 @@
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Semantics</title>
<sect2>
<title>Built-in functions</title>
<para>
The Nix language provides the following built-in function
(<quote>primops</quote>):
</para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><function>import</function>
<replaceable>e</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Evaluates the expression <replaceable>e</replaceable>,
which must yield a path value. The Nix expression
stored at this path in the file system is then read,
parsed, and evaluated. Returns the result of the
evaluation of the Nix expression just read.
</para>
<para>
Example: <literal>import ./foo.nix</literal> evaluates
the expression stored in <filename>foo.nix</filename>
(in the directory containing the expression in which the
<function>import</function> occurs).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><function>derivation</function>
<replaceable>e</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Evaluates the expression <replaceable>e</replaceable>,
which must yield an attribute set. [...]
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><function>baseNameOf</function>
<replaceable>e</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Evaluates the expression <replaceable>e</replaceable>,
which must yield a string value, and returns a string
representing its <emphasis>base name</emphasis>. This
is the substring following the last path separator
(<literal>/</literal>).
</para>
<para>
Example: <literal>baseNameOf "/foo/bar"</literal>
returns <literal>"bar"</literal>, and
<literal>baseNameOf "/foo/bar/"</literal> returns
<literal>""</literal>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><function>toString</function>
<replaceable>e</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Evaluates the expression <replaceable>e</replaceable>
and coerces it into a string, if possible. Only
strings, paths, and URIs can be so coerced.
</para>
<para>
Example: <literal>toString
http://www.cs.uu.nl/</literal> returns
<literal>"http://www.cs.uu.nl/"</literal>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
</chapter>

View file

@ -218,4 +218,9 @@ div.epigraph
{
font-style: italic;
text-align: right;
}
table.productionset table.productionset
{
font-family: monospace;
}