[Nix-dev] [PATCH] t/allow-arbitrary-strinsg-in-names

[Marc Weber]

patch for nix allowing arbitrary strings as attr names still waiting for
review or comments.


allow strings as names in attribute sets:

Example:

let

    sourcesByVersion = {
      "git-1.8" : fetchurl ..
      "git-2.0" : fetchurl ..
    }

    useCase1 =  sourcesByVersion."git-1.8"
    useCase2 =  lib.maybeAttr "git-1.8" (throw "nou source available") sourcesByVersion;
    useCase3 =  sourcesByVersion ? "git-1.8"

This isn't something new. This undocumented feature was available for a long
time using listToAttrs which accepted arbitrary strings as name.

patch was updated following the symbols change which broke it

Signed-off-by: Marc Weber <marco-oweber at gmx.de>
---
 doc/manual/writing-nix-expressions.xml          |    6 ++++-
 src/libexpr/parser.y                            |   26 +++++++++++++++++-----
 tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.exp |    1 +
 tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.nix |   15 +++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.exp
 create mode 100644 tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.nix

diff --git a/doc/manual/writing-nix-expressions.xml b/doc/manual/writing-nix-expressions.xml
index 35fdf53..ac65e1b 100644
--- a/doc/manual/writing-nix-expressions.xml
+++ b/doc/manual/writing-nix-expressions.xml
@@ -800,6 +800,7 @@ by a semicolon.  For example:
 { x = 123;
   text = "Hello";
   y = f { bla = 456; };
+  "spaces - allowed 2.8" = "value";
 }</programlisting>
 
 This defines an attribute set with attributes named
@@ -812,6 +813,9 @@ occur once.</para>
 
 <programlisting>
 { a = "Foo"; b = "Bar"; }.a</programlisting>
+or
+<programlisting>
+{ "a b" = "Foo"}."a b"</programlisting>
 
 evaluates to <literal>"Foo"</literal>.</para>
 
@@ -1212,7 +1216,7 @@ weakest binding).</para>
         <entry>Test whether attribute set <replaceable>e</replaceable>
         contains an attribute named <replaceable>id</replaceable>;
         return <literal>true</literal> or
-        <literal>false</literal>.</entry>
+        <literal>false</literal>. <replaceable>id</replaceable> may be a string</entry>
       </row>
       <row>
         <entry><replaceable>e1</replaceable> ++ <replaceable>e2</replaceable></entry>
diff --git a/src/libexpr/parser.y b/src/libexpr/parser.y
index c6d29b6..a6199b8 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/parser.y
+++ b/src/libexpr/parser.y
@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ void yyerror(YYLTYPE * loc, yyscan_t scanner, ParseData * data, const char * err
 %type <formal> formal
 %type <ids> ids attrpath
 %type <string_parts> string_parts ind_string_parts
+%type <id> id_like
 %token <id> ID ATTRPATH
 %token <e> STR IND_STR
 %token <n> INT
@@ -284,6 +285,19 @@ void yyerror(YYLTYPE * loc, yyscan_t scanner, ParseData * data, const char * err
 
 start: expr { data->result = $1; };
 
+id_like
+  : ID
+  | '"' STR '"' {
+    Expr * x = $2;
+    if(ExprString* str = dynamic_cast<ExprString*>(x))
+      $$ = strdup(((string) str->s).c_str());
+    else
+      // should never be reached - you never know.
+      // should static_cast be used instead? Or should I add a new type passed
+      // from lexer?
+      throw ParseError(format("ExprString expected"));
+  }
+  
 expr: expr_function;
 
 expr_function
@@ -317,7 +331,7 @@ expr_op
   | expr_op OR expr_op { $$ = new ExprOpOr($1, $3); }
   | expr_op IMPL expr_op { $$ = new ExprOpImpl($1, $3); }
   | expr_op UPDATE expr_op { $$ = new ExprOpUpdate($1, $3); }
-  | expr_op '?' ID { $$ = new ExprOpHasAttr($1, data->symbols.create($3)); }
+  | expr_op '?' id_like { $$ = new ExprOpHasAttr($1, data->symbols.create($3)); }
   | expr_op '+' expr_op
     { vector<Expr *> * l = new vector<Expr *>;
       l->push_back($1);
@@ -335,7 +349,7 @@ expr_app
   ;
 
 expr_select
-  : expr_select '.' ID
+  : expr_select '.' id_like
     { $$ = new ExprSelect($1, data->symbols.create($3)); }
   | expr_simple { $$ = $1; }
   ;
@@ -402,13 +416,13 @@ binds
   ;
 
 ids
-  : ids ID { $$ = $1; $1->push_back(data->symbols.create($2)); /* !!! dangerous */ }
+  : ids id_like { $$ = $1; $1->push_back(data->symbols.create($2)); /* !!! dangerous */ }
   | { $$ = new vector<Symbol>; }
   ;
 
 attrpath
-  : attrpath '.' ID { $$ = $1; $1->push_back(data->symbols.create($3)); }
-  | ID { $$ = new vector<Symbol>; $$->push_back(data->symbols.create($1)); }
+  : attrpath '.' id_like { $$ = $1; $1->push_back(data->symbols.create($3)); }
+  | id_like { $$ = new vector<Symbol>; $$->push_back(data->symbols.create($1)); }
   ;
 
 expr_list
@@ -431,7 +445,7 @@ formal
   : ID { $$ = new Formal(data->symbols.create($1), 0); }
   | ID '?' expr { $$ = new Formal(data->symbols.create($1), $3); }
   ;
-  
+
 %%
 
 
diff --git a/tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.exp b/tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.exp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27ba77d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.exp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true
diff --git a/tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.nix b/tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaa0aff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lang/eval-okay-attrs-strings-as-names.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+let
+  attr = {
+    "key 1" = "test";
+    "key 2" = "caseok";
+  };
+
+  t1 = builtins.getAttr "key 1" attr;
+  t2 = attr."key 2";
+  t3 = attr ? "key 1";
+  t4 = builtins.attrNames { inherit (attr) "key 1"; };
+
+in t1 == "test"
+   && t2 == "caseok"
+   && t3 == true
+   && t4 == ["key 1"]
-- 
1.7.3.5