feedback/README.md
2023-01-24 10:41:57 +00:00

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# Feedback loop
A general purpose tool to set up good feedback loops and share them with your team.
## Features
### Run feedback loops
Use the `feedback` command to set up a feedback loop for your work.
For example, if you are working on a nix build, you might use this feedback loop:
```
feedback -- nix-build
```
Usually `feedback` will correctly figure out which files to watch and which
files not to watch, but you can also configure this more precisely.
### Declarative feedback loops
You can declare feedback loops in the `feedback.yaml` configuration file to share them with your team.
For example, this gives you a flake-based feedback loop:
``` yaml
loops:
check: nix flake check -L
```
Then you can just run this command, and not have to remember the full incantation:
```
feedback check
```
To see the full reference of options of the configuration file, run `feedback --help`.
### CI Integration
When sharing feedback loops with team members, it is important that no one breaks another's workflow.
You can use `feedback-test` to test out the feedback loops in a one-shot manner, so you can check that they still work on CI.
See `feedback-test --help` for more details.
## Installation
### Try it out
```
nix run github:NorfairKing/feedback
```
### Install globally
Add this to your system flake:
``` nix
{
inputs = {
feedback.url = "github:NorfairKing/feedback";
};
outputs = { nixpkgs, feedback, ... }:
let system = "x86_64-linux";
in {
nixosConfigurations.example = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
inherit system;
modules = [
{ environment.systemPackages = [ feedback.packages.${system}.default ]; }
];
};
};
}
```
## Comparison with other tools
| | feedback | [steeloverseer](https://github.com/schell/steeloverseer) | [watchexec](https://github.com/watchexec/watchexec) | [entr](https://github.com/eradman/entr)
|----|-|-|-|-|
| Indication of command starting | ✔️ | ✔️ | C | C |
| Indication of time | ✔️ | C | C | C |
| Clear screen between feedback | ✔️ | C | C | C |
| Gitignore-aware | ✔️ | ✖️ | ✔️ | ✖ |
| Named feedback loops | ✔️ | ✖️ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Configurable feedback loops | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Cancelling previous runs that aren't done yet | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✖ |
| Long-form flags for every option | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✖ |
| CI integration | ✔️ | C | C | C |
| Indication of how long the loop took | ✔️ | C | C | C |
| Shell integration (Commands with pipes "just work") | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | C |
| Declare Env vars for configured loops | ✔️ | C | C | C |
| Declare working directory for configured loops | ✔️ | C | C | C |
| Arbitrary "files to watch" filters | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | C |
| Stdin-based "files to watch' filters | ✔️ | C | C | ✔️ |
* ✔️: Supported
* C: Possible but you have to write some code yourself
* 🚧: Under development
* ✖️: Not supported
* ?: I don't know.
## Hacking
1. Enter a dev shell
```
$ nix develop
```
2. Start a feedback loop
```
feedback install
```
3. Make your changes
4. Make sure CI will pass
```
nix flake check
```
5. Make a PR to `development`.