06/07: doc: Expound on the build-side versus host-side modules topic.

[guix-commits]

apteryx pushed a commit to branch master
in repository guix.

commit 7d3f2b99ffa8411994623f3bd32353cea63f0ecf
Author: Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>
AuthorDate: Tue Oct 17 03:13:52 2023 -0400

    doc: Expound on the build-side versus host-side modules topic.
    
    Discussed in <https://issues.guix.gnu.org/65924#98-lineno27>.
    
    * doc/contributing.texi (Modules): Add new context indices, and provide a
    real-life counter-example, and its ramifications.
    
    Reported-by: Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
    Change-Id: I06975fb24f0d67c833884313a727dc550f61d8a0
---
 doc/contributing.texi | 9 +++++++--
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/contributing.texi b/doc/contributing.texi
index 7a458903be..0d76b31c18 100644
--- a/doc/contributing.texi
+++ b/doc/contributing.texi
@@ -1280,11 +1280,16 @@ implement low-level concepts, such as the 
@code{memoize} procedure.
 
 @node Modules
 @subsection Modules
-
+@cindex build-side modules
+@cindex host-side modules
 Guile modules that are meant to be used on the builder side must live in
 the @code{(guix build @dots{})} name space.  They must not refer to
 other Guix or GNU modules.  However, it is OK for a ``host-side'' module
-to use a build-side module.
+to use a build-side module.  As an example, the @code{(guix
+search-paths)} module should not be imported and used by a package since
+it isn't meant to be used as a ``build-side'' module.  It would also
+couple the module with the package's dependency graph, which is
+undesirable.
 
 Modules that deal with the broader GNU system should be in the
 @code{(gnu @dots{})} name space rather than @code{(guix @dots{})}.