Derivations: Difference between revisions

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== Definition ==

A '''derivation''' is defined as ''a specification for running an executable on precisely defined input files to repeatably produce output files at uniquely determined file system paths''<ref>Derivations ~~- Nix Reference Manual~~</ref>. Simply put, it describes a set of steps to take some input and produce some output in a deterministic manner.

A '''derivation''' is defined as ''a specification for running an executable on precisely defined input files to repeatably produce output files at uniquely determined file system paths''<ref>{{cite manual|nix|language/derivations|5.4.1|Derivations}}</ref>. Simply put, it describes a set of steps to take some input and produce some output in a deterministic manner.

Derivations can be written manually using the <code>derivation</code> function; this is the most fundamental way in which they can be defined. However, since this low-level function is quite simple, building derivations this way can easily become unwieldy and repetitive. To aid in the process of creating derivations, [[Nixpkgs]] contains [https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#chap-stdenv the standard environment] (also known as the <code>stdenv</code>), which provides a set of utility functions for the most common derivation types (e.g. a [[Python libraries|Python package]], a shell script, a [[Docker]] container, etc.)

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 == Definition ==
-A '''derivation''' is defined as ''a specification for running an executable on precisely defined input files to repeatably produce output files at uniquely determined file system paths''<ref>Derivations - Nix Reference Manual</ref>. Simply put, it describes a set of steps to take some input and produce some output in a deterministic manner.
+A '''derivation''' is defined as ''a specification for running an executable on precisely defined input files to repeatably produce output files at uniquely determined file system paths''<ref>{{cite manual|nix|language/derivations|5.4.1|Derivations}}</ref>. Simply put, it describes a set of steps to take some input and produce some output in a deterministic manner.
 Derivations can be written manually using the <code>derivation</code> function; this is the most fundamental way in which they can be defined. However, since this low-level function is quite simple, building derivations this way can easily become unwieldy and repetitive. To aid in the process of creating derivations, [[Nixpkgs]] contains [https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#chap-stdenv the standard environment] (also known as the <code>stdenv</code>), which provides a set of utility functions for the most common derivation types (e.g. a [[Python libraries|Python package]], a shell script, a [[Docker]] container, etc.)