Documentation issue: General Rules: When to use genrule vs. rule ?

[cvrebert]

Documentation URL: https://docs.bazel.build/versions/master/be/general.html#genrule

This documentation lacks guidance on whether, or in what situations, a rule() should be favored over a genrule() (or vice-versa).

IMHO, rules are preferable because:

• They can return providers, thus allowing references to their targets to be typechecked.
• The Make variable syntax of genrules is obscure and harder to look up.
• They're more explicit in general and support various doc fields for documentation.
• I seem to recall some quirks around inferring the relevant genrule from an output filename, but perhaps that's been fixed by now.

I guess maybe genrule's terseness could be justified if the target and its generator are one-offs?

But that's just my opinion. I'd prefer official guidance from Bazel Team, hence this issue.

[aiuto]

I think your judgement is spot-on there. rules are better, except for some one-offs. We need more documentation about the trade-offs.

[floriographygoth]

Thanks! We will update the Build Encyclopedia and take a look for the correct home for conceptual information regarding rule vs. genrule tradeoffs.

[aiuto]

IMO, if you should write documentation for it, so others can reuse it, make a rule.

…

On Mon, Feb 8, 2021 at 6:46 PM floriographygoth ***@***.***> wrote: Thanks! We will update the Build Encyclopedia and take a look for the correct home for conceptual information regarding rule vs. genrule tradeoffs. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#12781 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAXHHHDMQZGJ33YUO2Q2QU3S6BZXDANCNFSM4VX7UOAA> .