skip-if

This Rust attribute macro skips running a function that produces a file or a folder (output) depending on a strategy.

#[skip_if(output="avatars.join(name)", strategy="...")]
fn render_avatar(name: &str, avatars: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
  // This will be skipped depending on the strategy.
  // e.g. do not run if the output already exists or if the function previously
  // failed on these arguments.
  Ok(())
}

The strategy (specified in the strategy attribute) has access to:

• The arguments hash (excluding the ones provided in the args_skip attributes);
• The source code hash;
• The output path (as provided in the output attribute).
• A callback with a reference to the result of the method call.

For convenience, the function on which the skip_if attribute is applied can access the value of the output expression through the skip_if_output variable.

Sample strategies

The simplest strategy, skip_if::FileExists, is to skip when the output path exists.

#[skip_if(output = "output", strategy = "skip_if::FileExists")]

A more advanced strategy, skip_if::Markers, offers the following options:

• Use a marker success file ({output}.success) with source and arguments hashes to never skip when these change, even if the output file already exists.
• Use a marker failure file ({output}.failure) to skip after a failure.
  • Optionally, take into account source and argument hashes to retry nevertheless when these change.
  • Optionally, mark some errors as retriable.
• Directory mode, where output is assumed to be a directory. The success and failure markers are stored inside.

#[skip_if(
  output = "output",
  strategy = "skip_if::Markers::default()",
  // or:
  // strategy = "skip_if::Markers::default().folder()",
)]

TODO

• Allow selectively disabling code and argument hashing (they are now tied together).