Subject: Re: [bug#74405] [PATCH 0/1] qt-build-system: Wrap with build variables to allow %outputs in arguments

From: Maxim Cournoyer <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 2025 22:48:41 +0900

Hi Rutherther,

Rutherther <[email-masked]> writes:

> It is impossible to refer to %outputs in arguments like #:configure-flags
> (ie. `(assoc-ref %outputs "out")` leads to unbound-variable %outputs).
> I think the issue is in qt using different system than build systems such
> as cmake or gnu. Since I am unsure about the reason for qt not having
> the same structure, I am submitting this to guix devel for discussion,
> as well as opening a patch in case this is fine to be merged. If not,
> could someone please explain what the reason behind not adding
> inputs and outputs is, and what is the alternative?
>
> Regards,
> Rutherther
>
> Rutherther (1):
>   guix: qt: add inputs and outputs build variables in qt-build

I haven't seen that patch in the series here, but just for the record I
think support for %outputs is omitted by purpose to nudge new package
definitions to migrate to use G-Expressions, e.g.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
#:configure-flags #~(list (string-append "DESTDIR=" #$output))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

-- 
Thanks,
Maxim