ocaml/dune

Setting dune build directory from dune-workspace

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#3,154 opened on Feb 18, 2020

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acceptedgood first issue

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Description

I'd like to set the dune build directory from the dune-workspace file instead of specifying it on the command line. It looked like I might be able to achieve this by using the (env) stanza to set the DUNE_BUILD_DIR environment variable.

I tried (env (_ (env-vars (DUNE_BUILD_DIR /path/to/new/_build)))) but that din't seem to have any effect (the _build directory in the root was still generated). I also confirmed that setting the environment variable normally on the command line does produce the expected result.

Incidentally this seems like a pretty circuitous way to set this setting - it should probably be configurable from the dune-workspace file natively.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate how the (env) stanza processes env vars in dune workspace, specifically why DUNE BUILD DIR is not applied. Trace the code path for workspace configuration and propose a new natively supported setting for build directory in dune workspace.
Tech stack
None
Domain
build system
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
OCamldune
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60