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docs: fill out language/types.md#type-path

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Ryan Hendrickson 2024-07-08 00:41:19 -04:00
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doc/manual/src/language/syntax.md
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@ -190,18 +190,13 @@ This section covers syntax and semantics of the Nix language.
### Path {#path-literal}
*Paths* are distinct from strings and can be expressed by path literals such as `./builder.sh`.
Paths are suitable for referring to local files, and are often preferable over strings.
- Path values do not contain trailing slashes, `.` and `..`, as they are resolved when evaluating a path literal.
- Path literals are automatically resolved relative to their [base directory](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-base-directory).
- The files referred to by path values are automatically copied into the Nix store when used in a string interpolation or concatenation.
- Tooling can recognize path literals and provide additional features, such as autocompletion, refactoring automation and jump-to-file.
*Paths* can be expressed by path literals such as `./builder.sh`.
A path literal must contain at least one slash to be recognised as such.
For instance, `builder.sh` is not a path:
it's parsed as an expression that selects the attribute `sh` from the variable `builder`.
Path literals are resolved relative to their [base directory](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-base-directory).
Path literals may also refer to absolute paths by starting with a slash.
> **Note**
@ -215,15 +210,6 @@ This section covers syntax and semantics of the Nix language.
For example, `~/foo` would be equivalent to `/home/edolstra/foo` for a user whose home directory is `/home/edolstra`.
Path literals that start with `~` are not allowed in [pure](@docroot@/command-ref/conf-file.md#conf-pure-eval) evaluation.
Paths can be used in [string interpolation] and string concatenation.
For instance, evaluating `"${./foo.txt}"` will cause `foo.txt` from the same directory to be copied into the Nix store and result in the string `"/nix/store/<hash>-foo.txt"`.
Note that the Nix language assumes that all input files will remain _unchanged_ while evaluating a Nix expression.
For example, assume you used a file path in an interpolated string during a `nix repl` session.
Later in the same session, after having changed the file contents, evaluating the interpolated string with the file path again might not return a new [store path], since Nix might not re-read the file contents. Use `:r` to reset the repl as needed.
[store path]: @docroot@/store/store-path.md
Path literals can also include [string interpolation], besides being [interpolated into other expressions].
[interpolated into other expressions]: ./string-interpolation.md#interpolated-expressions