[Nix-dev] Removing nulls in BuildInputs

[roconnor at theorem.ca]

On Fri, 22 Oct 2010, Marc Weber wrote:

> Excerpts from roconnor's message of Fri Oct 22 21:55:07 +0200 2010:
>> There was an idea tossed around on #nixos a few days ago that mkDerivation
>> should remove the nulls from buildInputs (and maybe other items too).
>> This would help make more consistent hashes that now currently change when
>> we do refactoring that removes an item from the build input vs setting it
>> to null.
> There was a discussion month ago on the mailinglist. But for different
> reasons.
>
> {
>  foo = null
>  bar = [abc null];
> }
>
> should be stripped to
>
> { bar = [ abc]; }
>
> then?

I'm not sure I understand the question.  If you are asking if I think that 
all null should be stripped from all lists, then that is not what I'm 
proposing.  I find it plausible that keeping nulls in some lists could be 
useful.  I'm only proposing removing nulls in some fields of derivation 
where they make no difference on how the derivation is built, but only 
serve to change the hash.

-- 
Russell O'Connor                                      <http://r6.ca/>
``All talk about `theft,''' the general counsel of the American Graphophone
Company wrote, ``is the merest claptrap, for there exists no property in
ideas musical, literary or artistic, except as defined by statute.''