docs: Add 'Execution of BuildStream Elements' page

Author: shymega-ct

doc/source/using_execution_of_elements.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+Execution of BuildStream Elements
+=================================
+
+This page provides a guide on how Buildstream elements are built, including how
+element types may affect this.
+
+When a BuildStream element is being built, it can roughly be broken down
+into these individual stages:
+
+- Sources are fetched
+- The sandbox is prepared
+- Configure and run commands
+- Caching Artifacts
+
+Sources are fetched
+-------------------
+
+The hidden first step is actually validating the ``yaml``. This includes
+resolving includes, options, appends, which are denoted by ``(@)``,
+``(?)`` and ``(>)`` respectively.
+
+The first step once the ``yaml`` has been validated is that BuildStream
+will fetch the sources. This is dependent on the source ``kind`` as to
+how these are fetched. After the sources are fetched they may need to
+checked. For example a ``kind: tar`` would need to check the ``sha256``
+matches, and a ``git_repo`` source would need to switch to the specified
+commit sha.
+
+The Sandbox is prepared
+-----------------------
+
+The Sandbox is prepared as a temporary filesystem, where build dependencies
+(``build-depends:``), are staged, along with their own runtime dependencies.
+This happens in an abstract state, which can quickly spot repeated files and
+overlaps.
+
+In general when a dependency is being staged, the produced artifact is
+added from the root (``/``). This can sometimes be changed using the
+``location:`` attribute. In most cases dependencies are marked by
+BuildStream as immutable.
+
+After the dependencies are staged BuildStream stages the sources in the
+``build-root`` location. The actual location of this differs slightly
+depending on the project file structure, which is why it is common to
+see elements use the variable ``%{build-root}`` which resolves to the
+correct location.
+
+Configure and Build commands
+----------------------------
+
+Now that all dependencies and sources are staged in a temporary
+filesystem, this filesystem is started up by BuildBox in a sandbox.
+
+The first commands to be run are configure commands and it is
+recommended to include things like moving the sources about, generating
+config files and other “configure” related actions into this section.
+These should be the commands that can only be run once (for example a
+folder can only be moved once), this is due to `BuildStream
+workspaces `<developing/workspaces.rst>`__.
+
+!!! tip “BuildStream Workspaces and Configure Commands”
+
+::
+
+   When a [workspace](developing/workspaces.rst)
+   is opened, it stages all the sources for the indicated element locally, then
+   when doing a build of that element it uses these local sources instead of
+   pulling in fresh sources. Builds using workspaces only run configure
+   commands once, and any subsequent builds using the same workspace will skip
+   the configure commands step, therefore steps of the build that aren't 
+   repeatable (without re-staging sources) should be added to configure 
+   commands.
+
+After Configure commands are run, then Build commands are next. Build
+commands are intended to contain the actual build process, for example
+if the build uses ``make`` then this stage should run the
+``make target`` command.
+
+Install Commands and Caching Artifacts
+--------------------------------------
+
+Install commands are the final commands that are run before BuildStream
+collects the artifacts and closes the build sandbox. Install commands
+should mainly be comprised of moving the built artifacts from the
+``${build-root}`` to the ``${install-root}``.
+
+There is no need for Install commands to clean up any of the sources
+that aren’t going to moved, as the BuildStream handles this when the
+sandbox is closed.
+
+Directories can be created under the install location, for example
+``%{install-root}/example/``, and these will be maintained when another
+element depends on this one, for example this will become
+``/example``.
+
+The contents of the install root are cached. BuildStream caches the
+produced artifact to reduce the need to rebuild elements, instead it can
+pull from this artifact cache. It will only rebuild an element if the
+element file changes, or if the dependencies for an element changes.
+
+!!! tip “Caching Errors”
+
+::
+
+   BuildStream will also cache build errors, and if no file has changed
+   (including the dependencies) then BuildStream will display this cached error,
+   without attempting a rebuild. This is sometimes not the desired behaviour,
+   especially if the error was caused by a remote issue, like a source site
+   being temporarily unavailable. To force an attempted build use the
+   `-r`/`--retry-failed` option, documented
+   [here](using_commands.rst#cmdoption-bst-build-r)