copy_file: Add parameter to allow symlinks (#252)

* copy_file: Add parameter to allow symlinks

This change adds a new parameter `allow_symlinks` to `copy_file` that
allows the action to create a symlink instead of doing an expensive
copy if the execution platform (host) allows it.

Updates #248

* Update docs

* Refactor `is_executable` into attribute

* Fix typo

* s/_impl/_copy_file_impl/

docs/copy_file_doc.md

@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+<!-- Generated with Stardoc: http://skydoc.bazel.build -->
+
+<a name="#copy_file"></a>
+
 ## copy_file
 
 <pre>
-copy_file(<a href="#copy_file-name">name</a>, <a href="#copy_file-src">src</a>, <a href="#copy_file-out">out</a>, <a href="#copy_file-is_executable">is_executable</a>, <a href="#copy_file-kwargs">kwargs</a>)
+copy_file(<a href="#copy_file-name">name</a>, <a href="#copy_file-src">src</a>, <a href="#copy_file-out">out</a>, <a href="#copy_file-is_executable">is_executable</a>, <a href="#copy_file-allow_symlink">allow_symlink</a>, <a href="#copy_file-kwargs">kwargs</a>)
 </pre>
 
 Copies a file to another location.
@@ -55,6 +59,21 @@ This rule uses a Bash command on Linux/macOS/non-Windows, and a cmd.exe command
           A boolean. Whether to make the output file executable. When
     True, the rule's output can be executed using `bazel run` and can be
     in the srcs of binary and test rules that require executable sources.
+    WARNING: If `allow_symlink` is True, `src` must also be executable.
+        </p>
+      </td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr id="copy_file-allow_symlink">
+      <td><code>allow_symlink</code></td>
+      <td>
+        optional. default is <code>False</code>
+        <p>
+          A boolean. Whether to allow symlinking instead of copying.
+    When False, the output is always a hard copy. When True, the output
+    *can* be a symlink, but there is no guarantee that a symlink is
+    created (i.e., at the time of writing, we don't create symlinks on
+    Windows). Set this to True if you need fast copying and your tools can
+    handle symlinks (which most UNIX tools can).
         </p>
       </td>
     </tr>

rules/private/copy_file_private.bzl

@@ -58,7 +58,14 @@ def copy_bash(ctx, src, dst):
         use_default_shell_env = True,
     )
 
-def _common_impl(ctx, is_executable):
+def _copy_file_impl(ctx):
+    if ctx.attr.allow_symlink:
+        ctx.actions.symlink(
+            output = ctx.outputs.out,
+            target_file = ctx.file.src,
+            is_executable = ctx.attr.is_executable,
+        )
+    else:
         if ctx.attr.is_windows:
             copy_cmd(ctx, ctx.file.src, ctx.outputs.out)
         else:
@@ -66,37 +73,33 @@ def _common_impl(ctx, is_executable):
 
     files = depset(direct = [ctx.outputs.out])
     runfiles = ctx.runfiles(files = [ctx.outputs.out])
-    if is_executable:
+    if ctx.attr.is_executable:
         return [DefaultInfo(files = files, runfiles = runfiles, executable = ctx.outputs.out)]
     else:
         return [DefaultInfo(files = files, runfiles = runfiles)]
 
-def _impl(ctx):
-    return _common_impl(ctx, False)
-
-def _ximpl(ctx):
-    return _common_impl(ctx, True)
-
 _ATTRS = {
     "src": attr.label(mandatory = True, allow_single_file = True),
     "out": attr.output(mandatory = True),
     "is_windows": attr.bool(mandatory = True),
+    "is_executable": attr.bool(mandatory = True),
+    "allow_symlink": attr.bool(mandatory = True),
 }
 
 _copy_file = rule(
-    implementation = _impl,
+    implementation = _copy_file_impl,
     provides = [DefaultInfo],
     attrs = _ATTRS,
 )
 
 _copy_xfile = rule(
-    implementation = _ximpl,
+    implementation = _copy_file_impl,
     executable = True,
     provides = [DefaultInfo],
     attrs = _ATTRS,
 )
 
-def copy_file(name, src, out, is_executable = False, **kwargs):
+def copy_file(name, src, out, is_executable = False, allow_symlink = False, **kwargs):
     """Copies a file to another location.
 
     `native.genrule()` is sometimes used to copy files (often wishing to rename them). The 'copy_file' rule does this with a simpler interface than genrule.
@@ -111,21 +114,21 @@ def copy_file(name, src, out, is_executable = False, **kwargs):
       is_executable: A boolean. Whether to make the output file executable. When
           True, the rule's output can be executed using `bazel run` and can be
           in the srcs of binary and test rules that require executable sources.
+          WARNING: If `allow_symlink` is True, `src` must also be executable.
+      allow_symlink: A boolean. Whether to allow symlinking instead of copying.
+          When False, the output is always a hard copy. When True, the output
+          *can* be a symlink, but there is no guarantee that a symlink is
+          created (i.e., at the time of writing, we don't create symlinks on
+          Windows). Set this to True if you need fast copying and your tools can
+          handle symlinks (which most UNIX tools can).
       **kwargs: further keyword arguments, e.g. `visibility`
     """
+
+    copy_file_impl = _copy_file
     if is_executable:
-        _copy_xfile(
-            name = name,
-            src = src,
-            out = out,
-            is_windows = select({
-                "@bazel_tools//src/conditions:host_windows": True,
-                "//conditions:default": False,
-            }),
-            **kwargs
-        )
-    else:
-        _copy_file(
+        copy_file_impl = _copy_xfile
+
+    copy_file_impl(
         name = name,
         src = src,
         out = out,
@@ -133,5 +136,7 @@ def copy_file(name, src, out, is_executable = False, **kwargs):
             "@bazel_tools//src/conditions:host_windows": True,
             "//conditions:default": False,
         }),
+        is_executable = is_executable,
+        allow_symlink = allow_symlink,
         **kwargs
     )

tests/copy_file/BUILD

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ sh_test(
         ":file_deps",
         # Use DefaultInfo.runfiles from 'copy_gen'.
         ":copy_gen",
+        ":copy_gen_symlink",
         "//tests:unittest.bash",
     ],
     deps = ["@bazel_tools//tools/bash/runfiles"],
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ filegroup(
     # Use DefaultInfo.files from 'copy_src'.
     srcs = [
         ":copy_src",
+        ":copy_src_symlink",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -64,15 +66,23 @@ filegroup(
 genrule(
     name = "run_executables",
     outs = [
+        "xsrc-out-symlink.txt",
+        "xgen-out-symlink.txt",
         "xsrc-out.txt",
         "xgen-out.txt",
     ],
-    cmd = ("$(location :bin_src) > $(location xsrc-out.txt) && " +
-           "$(location :bin_gen) > $(location xgen-out.txt)"),
+    cmd = " && ".join([
+        "$(location :bin_src_symlink) > $(location xsrc-out-symlink.txt)",
+        "$(location :bin_gen_symlink) > $(location xgen-out-symlink.txt)",
+        "$(location :bin_src) > $(location xsrc-out.txt)",
+        "$(location :bin_gen) > $(location xgen-out.txt)",
+    ]),
     output_to_bindir = 1,
     tools = [
         ":bin_gen",
         ":bin_src",
+        ":bin_gen_symlink",
+        ":bin_src_symlink",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -82,22 +92,48 @@ sh_binary(
     srcs = [":copy_xsrc"],
 )
 
+# If 'bin_src' is built, then 'copy_xsrc' made its output executable.
+sh_binary(
+    name = "bin_src_symlink",
+    srcs = [":copy_xsrc_symlink"],
+)
+
 # If 'bin_gen' is built, then 'copy_xgen' made its output executable.
 sh_binary(
     name = "bin_gen",
     srcs = [":copy_xgen"],
 )
 
+# If 'bin_gen' is built, then 'copy_xgen' made its output executable.
+sh_binary(
+    name = "bin_gen_symlink",
+    srcs = [":copy_xgen_symlink"],
+)
+
 copy_file(
     name = "copy_src",
     src = "a.txt",
     out = "out/a-out.txt",
 )
 
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_src_symlink",
+    src = "a.txt",
+    out = "out/a-out-symlink.txt",
+    allow_symlink = True,
+)
+
 copy_file(
     name = "copy_gen",
     src = ":gen",
     out = "out/gen-out.txt",
+    allow_symlink = True,
+)
+
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_gen_symlink",
+    src = ":gen",
+    out = "out/gen-out-symlink.txt",
 )
 
 copy_file(
@@ -107,6 +143,14 @@ copy_file(
     is_executable = True,
 )
 
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_xsrc_symlink",
+    src = "a_with_exec_bit.txt",
+    out = "xout/a-out-symlink.sh",
+    is_executable = True,
+    allow_symlink = True,
+)
+
 copy_file(
     name = "copy_xgen",
     src = ":gen",
@@ -114,6 +158,14 @@ copy_file(
     is_executable = True,
 )
 
+copy_file(
+    name = "copy_xgen_symlink",
+    src = ":gen",
+    out = "xout/gen-out-symlink.sh",
+    is_executable = True,
+    allow_symlink = True,
+)
+
 genrule(
     name = "gen",
     outs = ["b.txt"],

tests/copy_file/a_with_exec_bit.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+echo aaa

tests/copy_file/copy_file_tests.sh

@@ -44,20 +44,42 @@ function test_copy_src() {
   expect_log '^echo aaa$'
 }
 
+function test_copy_src_symlink() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/out/a-out-symlink.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^#!/bin/bash$'
+  expect_log '^echo aaa$'
+}
+
 function test_copy_gen() {
   cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/out/gen-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
   expect_log '^#!/bin/bash$'
   expect_log '^echo potato$'
 }
 
+function test_copy_gen_symlink() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/out/gen-out-symlink.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^#!/bin/bash$'
+  expect_log '^echo potato$'
+}
+
 function test_copy_xsrc() {
   cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/xsrc-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
   expect_log '^aaa$'
 }
 
+function test_copy_xsrc_symlink() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/xsrc-out-symlink.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^aaa$'
+}
+
 function test_copy_xgen() {
   cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/xgen-out.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
   expect_log '^potato$'
 }
 
+function test_copy_xgen_symlink() {
+  cat "$(rlocation bazel_skylib/tests/copy_file/xgen-out-symlink.txt)" >"$TEST_log"
+  expect_log '^potato$'
+}
+
 run_suite "copy_file_tests test suite"