What's a sh_library?

[Dan Fabulich]

sh_binary and sh_library confuse me.

Here's what I think I understand:

1) sh_binary targets are executable; they can have deps and data dependencies

2) sh_library targets aren't "executable" from Bazel's perspective

3) You can't list a sh_binary as a dep of a sh_binary; you have to convert it to a sh_library to do that

4) If you list a sh_binary X in as a "data" dependency of another sh_binary Y, X won't have access to its data/runfiles

5) Therefore, if you have a script that you both want to run and allow other sh_binary scripts to run it, you have to double-declare it as a sh_binary and as a sh_library. When invoking it directly, use the sh_binary; when depending on the script, use the sh_library.

Is that all true? If so, WHY is it true? It seems like an pointless distinction. sh_binary targets should be able to just declare other sh_binary targets as dependencies. What's the harm?

I suppose the same argument could be made re: py_binary targets, but at least py_binary targets have a wrapper environment script, so there it makes somewhat more sense.

-Dan

[Damien Martin-guillerez]

Hi Dan,

I think the main reason behind that distinction is that inside Google, we have do a packaging of sh_binary into a unique artifact that you can execute. sh_library are here for inclusion.

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