allow referencing specific flake outputs in download command

[VanCoding]

Examples:

• gradient download #packages.x86_64-linux.my-app
• gradient download #packages.x86_64-linux.kubernetes-resources

Even better, allow downloading pure evaluation results as JSON. For example

• gradient download #kubernettes-resources -> would download a nix list/attrset as JSON, without it having to be a derivation that needs to be built first.

[DerDennisOP]

you mean gradient download ? I'm unsure what you mean by "nix list/attrset as JSON", could you give a specific example please?

[VanCoding]

you mean gradient download ?

Ah, yes, of course. I've updated the text.

I'm unsure what you mean by "nix list/attrset as JSON", could you give a specific example please?

Let's say I have a flake like this:

{
  outputs = {
    kubernetes-resources = [
      {
        apiVersion = "apps/v1";
        kind = "Deployment";
        metadata = {
          name = "my-app";
          namespace = "default";
        };
        spec = {
          replicas = 1;
          selector = {
            matchLabels = {
              app = "my-app";
            };
          };
          template = {
            metadata = {
              labels = {
                app = "my-app";
              };
            };
            spec = {
              containers = [
                {
                  name = "my-app";
                  image = "gcr.io/my-app/my-app:latest";
                  ports = [
                    { containerPort = 3000; }
                  ];
                }
              ];
            };
          };
        };
      }
    ];
  };
}

This doesn't produce any derivations. it just uses nix to build a JSON structure. Being able to evaluate & get this value as JSON without having nix installed could be really useful. In this case, in a argo cd use case, for example.

I know, this would also work by wrapping it in a writeText call and turning it into a derivation. But then its system specific.

I'm not 100% it's really that useful, but I'd definitely play around with it 😅

[DerDennisOP]

So you might want a gradient eval #kubernettes-resources command that returns a nix to toJSON schema similar to nix eval.

[VanCoding]

ah, yes, that's what I mean.