flake-aspects

name

flake-aspects

description

Use this skill for any modular Nix configuration (flake-parts, NixOS, Darwin, Home-Manager). Essential for using the `<aspect>.<class>` transposition for cleaner dependencies, cross-aspect dependencies via `includes`, and parametric providers. Trigger this skill whenever you need to architect modular Nix code using Dendritic patterns, transpose aspect-based modular configs to `flake.modules`, or manage complex cross-aspect dependency graphs.

flake-aspects

flake-aspects is a powerful, dependency-free Nix library that simplifies complex configuration by transposing intuitive <aspect>.<class> structures into the standard flake.modules.<class>.<aspect> layout required by many Nix tools.

When to use (Trigger me!)

• Architecting Modular Nix: When you want to nest classes inside aspects for cleaner, more intuitive mental models.
• Dependency Graphs: When aspects need to depend on other aspects (includes), forming a DAG.
• Parametric Configurations: When you need curried providers, __functor overrides, or passing arguments at inclusion time.
• Interoperability: When targeting multiple configuration classes (NixOS, Darwin, Home-Manager, NixVim, Terranix) within a single aspect.
• Zero-Dependency Requirements: When working with or without flakes (standalone evaluation).

Key Concepts

• flake.aspects: The native, transposed definition structure (.<aspect>.<class>).
• transpose: The primitive that transforms the tree/graph structure into flake.modules.
• Dependency Mapping:
  • includes: Graph structure for cross-aspect dependencies.
  • provides (alias _): Tree structure for nestable sub-aspects.
• Advanced Features:
  • Parametric Providers (curried functions).
  • Context-aware __functor override.
  • Cross-class forwarding.

Examples & Patterns

Aspect Definition and Transposition

Define your modules in a nested, intuitive structure:

flake.aspects = {
  vim-btw = {
    nixos = { ... };
    darwin = { ... };
    homeManager = { ... };
  };
  tiling-desktop = {
    # Includes vim-btw as a dependency
    includes = [ aspects.vim-btw ];
    nixos = { ... };
  };
};

# Resulting flake.modules (automatically generated by transpose)
# {
#   nixos.vim-btw = { imports = [ ... ]; };
#   nixos.tiling-desktop = { imports = [ nixos-config, vim-btw-nixos ]; };
#   darwin.vim-btw = { imports = [ ... ]; };
# }

Workflow Pattern (Mandatory)

1. Define: Create your modular structure in flake.aspects within your flake-parts configuration.
2. Transpose: Use the library to transform flake.aspects -> flake.modules.
3. Link: Apply includes to manage inter-aspect data flow.
4. Parametrize: Use currying or __functor for dynamic configurations.

Troubleshooting

• If modules aren't being picked up by flake-parts, ensure transpose is correctly hooked into the flake-parts module.
• For cross-aspect dependency issues, visualize the dependency DAG — ensure no circular dependencies exist.