Stolen Syntax

The Nix language allows any name to be used in an attribute set, but Nix, some libraries, and the ecosystem in general assign special meaning to some names that appear in attribute sets that consist of otherwise freely named variables.

This page presents a cross-section of well known "keywords" used in attribute sets in various components.

Nix language

• outPath
• __functor
• __toString

nix-build

• recurseForDerivations

The wider ecosystem

• _type for nominal typing. Should contain a string. Pioneered by the module system (?)
• ~type~ in principle this one is available for domain specific use! That is, unless you want the attrset to double as a "derivation" in the CLI.

Module system

• _type
• config, options (etc) (switches away from shorthand syntax)
• _module option tree is omitted from the returned config and is intended for module system specific use
• _key
• _class
• _file
• ...