Nix snowflake logoExplainix

Explain Nix syntax visually. Snippet below showcases most of the language features Nix has to offer.

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Data types

{
"list of numbers"=
[123456.78]
;
booleans=
[truefalse]
;
null=null;
string="Hello world!";
multiline_string=''
This string
can span multiple lines.
'';
uri=https://zaynetro.com/explainix;
paths={
relative=./config/hello.txt;
absolute=/var/lib/nginx.log;
home_path=~/Downloads;
lookup_path=<nixpkgs>;
};
"attribute set"=
{
a=123;
}
;
}

Language constructs

{
"recursive set"=rec{
x=y;
y=123;
};
"conditionals"=
if
x<y
then"this"else"otherwise"
;
"let-expressions"=
let
a=23;
b=45;
in
a+b
;
"inheriting attributes"=
let
x=123;
in{
inherit
x
;
"y"=456;
}
;
"functions"=
let
concat=
x:
y:
x+y
;
in
concatxy
;
"assertions"=
assert
x!=0
;"x is not zero"
;
"with-expressions"=
let
as=
{
x="foo";
y="bar";
}
;
in
withas;
x+y
;
}

Operators

[
(
2+3
)
(
"foo"+"bar"
)
(
[12]
++
[34]
)
(
{
x=1;
}
//
{
y=2;
}
)
(
x->y
)
(
{
y=2;
}
?"x"
)
(
{
y=1;
}
.xor0
)
]