Nix: zsh/bash/... completion for nix* commands

[chaoflow]

It would be great if there would be shell completion for all nix commands, like:

% git a<TAB>
add         -- add file contents to index
ai          -- alias for 'add -i'
am          -- apply patches from a mailbox
ap          -- alias for 'add -p'
apply       -- apply patch to files and/or to index
archimport  -- import an Arch repository into git
archive     -- create archive of files from named tree

[chaoflow]

resources that might be useful:

http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Doc/Release/Completion-Widgets.html#Completion-Widgets

http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Doc/Release/Completion-System.html#Completion-System

http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=blob;f=contrib/completion/git-completion.bash;hb=HEAD

[svenkeidel]

Hi,

Sorry for reviving such an old issue but I started working on zsh completion for Nix commands. I have finished about 99% of the nix-env options. This should be a good reference point for implementing the completion of other commands. I could need some help to implement the options for the other commands and improving existing ones.

Repo is at https://github.com/svenkeidel/nixos-zsh-completion

Best,
Sven

[domenkozar]

:+1:

[bjornfor]

I'd _really_ like to have completion for attributes: "nix-env -iA nixos.TAB_TAB" :-)

[olejorgenb]

There is a package for zsh completions now: http://github.com/spwhitt/nix-zsh-completions (nix-env -iA nix-zsh-completions)

Also: https://github.com/spwhitt/nix-zsh-completions/pull/3 (WIP on attribute completions)

The implementation for nix-env at https://github.com/svenkeidel/nixos-zsh-completion seems to be a bit better that the nix-zsh-completion package though. (nix-env -i<tab> is handlet better for instance)

[joelmo]

Before someone do it for bash you should now there is interest redesigning the command interface, https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/779.

[olejorgenb]

Hopefully not spammy: A working attribute path completion for zsh is at https://github.com/spwhitt/nix-zsh-completions/pull/4

Paths are completed most places where it makes sense. eg. nix-env -i --file local.nix -A, nix-shell '<nixpkgs>' -A, etc.

spwihitt haven't responed yet, but I've used it for a while myself without major problems. It would be nice if someone wanted to test it to weed out possible bugs before it's (hopefully) merged.

[olejorgenb]

New version of nix-zsh-completions (with attribute path completion) is now in master: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/21331

[olejorgenb]

@hedning have implemented completions for bash too (including the new nix commands): https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/1658#issuecomment-343415285

(ref #1658)

[lheckemann]

This is done now, no? Suggest close.

[hedning]

From 18.03 and forward nix-bash-completions will be installed when programs.bash.enableCompletion is turned on, so I'd also suggest closing this.

There's a question of how to make completion work out of the box when using Nix on non-NixOS systems, but that's another issue.