# Variants and Variant Sources

## Overview

This document describes a two-layer model for build variants:

- `variants` defines the **core domain model**
- `variantSources` defines **source materialization semantics** for that model

The main goal is to keep the core model small, explicit, and stable, while allowing source-related behavior to remain flexible and adapter-friendly.

The model is intentionally split into:

1. a **closed, finalized domain model**
2. an **open, runtime-oriented source materialization model**

This separation is important because compilation, source aggregation, publication, and adapter-specific behavior do not belong to the same abstraction layer.

---

## Core idea

The `variants` model is based on three independent domains:

- `Layer`
- `Role`
- `Variant`

A finalized `VariantsView` contains the normalized relation:

- `(variant, role, layer)`

This relation is the source of truth.

Everything else is derived from it.

---

## `variants`: the core domain model

### Purpose

`variants` describes:

- what layers exist
- what roles exist
- what variants exist
- which `(variant, role, layer)` combinations are valid

It does **not** describe:

- source directories
- source roots
- source set materialization
- compilation tasks
- publication mechanics
- source set inheritance
- layer merge behavior for a concrete toolchain

Those concerns are intentionally outside the core model.

---

## Core DSL example

```groovy
variants {
    layers {
        main()
        test()
        generated()
        rjs()
        cjs()
    }

    roles {
        production()
        test()
        tool()
    }

    variant("browser") {
        role("production") {
            layers("main", "generated", "rjs")
        }
        role("test") {
            layers("main", "test", "generated", "rjs")
        }
    }

    variant("nodejs") {
        role("production") {
            layers("main", "generated", "cjs")
        }
        role("test") {
            layers("main", "test", "generated", "cjs")
        }
        role("tool") {
            layers("main", "generated", "cjs")
        }
    }
}
```

### Interpretation

This example means:

* `browser` production uses `main`, `generated`, `rjs`
* `browser` test uses `main`, `test`, `generated`, `rjs`
* `nodejs` production uses `main`, `generated`, `cjs`
* `nodejs` test uses `main`, `test`, `generated`, `cjs`
* `nodejs` tool uses `main`, `generated`, `cjs`

The model is purely declarative.

---

## Identity and references

`Layer`, `Role`, and `Variant` are identity objects.

They exist as declared domain values.

References between model elements are symbolic:

* layers are referenced by layer name
* roles are referenced by role name
* variants are referenced by variant name

This is intentional.

The core model is declarative, not navigation-oriented.

It is acceptable for aggregates to hold symbolic references to foreign domain values, as long as identity is clearly defined and validated later.

---

## Finalization

The `variants` model is finalized once.

Finalization is an internal lifecycle transition. It is typically triggered privately, for example from `afterEvaluate`, but that mechanism is not part of the public API contract.

The public contract is:

* `variants.whenFinalized(...)`

This callback is **replayable**:

* if called before finalization, the action is queued
* if called after finalization, the action is invoked immediately

The callback receives a finalized, read-only view of the model.

Example:

```java
variants.whenFinalized(view -> {
    // use finalized VariantsView here
});
```

---

## `VariantsView`

`VariantsView` is the finalized representation of the core model.

It contains:

* all declared `Layer`
* all declared `Role`
* all declared `Variant`
* all normalized entries `(variant, role, layer)`

Conceptually:

```java
interface VariantsView {
    Set<Layer> getLayers();
    Set<Role> getRoles();
    Set<Variant> getVariants();
    Set<VariantRoleLayer> getEntries();
}
```

Where:

```java
record VariantRoleLayer(Variant variant, Role role, Layer layer) {}
```

This view is:

* immutable
* normalized
* validated
* independent from DSL internals

---

## Derived views

Two important views can be derived from `VariantsView`:

* `CompileUnitsView`
* `RoleProjectionsView`

These views are not part of the raw core model itself, but they are naturally derived from it.

---

## `CompileUnitsView`

### Purpose

A compile unit is defined as:

* `(variant, layer)`

This is based on the following rationale:

* `variant` defines compilation semantics
* `layer` partitions a variant into separate compilation units
* `role` is not a compilation boundary

This is especially useful for toolchains such as TypeScript, where compilation is often more practical or more correct per layer than for the whole variant at once.

### Example

From:

* `(browser, production, main)`
* `(browser, production, rjs)`
* `(browser, test, main)`
* `(browser, test, test)`
* `(browser, test, rjs)`

we derive compile units:

* `(browser, main)`
* `(browser, rjs)`
* `(browser, test)`

### Conceptual API

```java
interface CompileUnitsView {
    Set<CompileUnit> getUnits();
    Set<CompileUnit> getUnitsForVariant(Variant variant);
    boolean contains(Variant variant, Layer layer);
    Set<Role> getRoles(CompileUnit unit);
}

record CompileUnit(Variant variant, Layer layer) {}
```

### Meaning

`CompileUnitsView` answers:

* what can be compiled
* how a variant is partitioned into compile units
* which logical roles include a given compile unit

---

## `RoleProjectionsView`

### Purpose

A role projection is defined as:

* `(variant, role)`

This is based on the following rationale:

* `role` is not about compilation
* `role` groups compile units by purpose
* roles are more closely related to publication, aggregation, assembly, or result grouping

### Example

For `browser`:

* `production` includes compile units:

  * `(browser, main)`
  * `(browser, rjs)`

* `test` includes compile units:

  * `(browser, main)`
  * `(browser, test)`
  * `(browser, rjs)`

### Conceptual API

```java
interface RoleProjectionsView {
    Set<RoleProjection> getProjections();
    Set<RoleProjection> getProjectionsForVariant(Variant variant);
    Set<RoleProjection> getProjectionsForRole(Role role);
    Set<CompileUnit> getUnits(RoleProjection projection);
}

record RoleProjection(Variant variant, Role role) {}
```

### Meaning

`RoleProjectionsView` answers:

* how compile units are grouped by purpose
* what belongs to `production`, `test`, `tool`, etc.
* what should be aggregated or published together

---

## Why `CompileUnitsView` and `RoleProjectionsView` are not part of `VariantsView`

`VariantsView` is intentionally minimal.

It expresses the domain relation:

* `(variant, role, layer)`

`CompileUnitsView` and `RoleProjectionsView` are **derived interpretations** of that relation.

They are natural and useful, but they are still interpretations:

* `CompileUnit = (variant, layer)`
* `RoleProjection = (variant, role)`

This is why they are better treated as derived views rather than direct core model primitives.

---

## `variantSources`: source semantics for layers

### Purpose

`variantSources` does **not** define variants.

It defines how a declared `Layer` contributes sources.

In other words:

* `variants` defines **what exists**
* `variantSources` defines **how layers become source inputs**

This distinction is important.

`variantSources` does not own the variant model. It interprets it.

---

## Main idea

A layer source rule describes the source contribution of a layer.

This is independent of any concrete variant or role.

Conceptually:

* `Layer -> source contribution rule`

Examples of source contribution semantics:

* base directory
* source directories
* logical source kinds (`ts`, `js`, `resources`)
* declared outputs (`js`, `dts`, `resources`)

---

## `variantSources` DSL example

```groovy
variantSources {
    layerRule("main") {
        from("src/main")

        set("ts") {
            srcDir("ts")
        }
        set("js") {
            srcDir("js")
        }
        set("resources") {
            srcDir("resources")
        }

        outputs("js", "dts", "resources")
    }

    layerRule("test") {
        from("src/test")

        set("ts") {
            srcDir("ts")
        }
        set("resources") {
            srcDir("resources")
        }

        outputs("js", "dts", "resources")
    }

    layerRule("rjs") {
        from("src/rjs")

        set("ts") {
            srcDir("ts")
        }

        outputs("js", "dts")
    }

    layerRule("cjs") {
        from("src/cjs")

        set("ts") {
            srcDir("ts")
        }

        outputs("js", "dts")
    }
}
```

### Interpretation

This means:

* `main` contributes `ts`, `js`, and `resources`
* `test` contributes `ts` and `resources`
* `rjs` contributes `ts`
* `cjs` contributes `ts`

These are layer rules only.

They do not yet say which variant consumes them.

---

## Why `variantSources` remains open

Unlike `variants`, `variantSources` does not need to be closed in the same way.

Reasons:

* the DSL is internal to source materialization
* the source of truth for unit existence is already finalized in `VariantsView`
* `GenericSourceSetMaterializer` returns `NamedDomainObjectProvider<GenericSourceSet>`
* late configuration of providers is expected and acceptable
* adapters may need to refine source-related behavior after `variants` is finalized

Therefore:

* `variants` is finalized
* `variantSources` may remain open

This is not a contradiction.

It reflects the difference between:

* a closed domain model
* an open infrastructure/materialization model

---

## `VariantSourcesContext`

`variantSources.whenFinalized(...)` remains useful, but not because `variantSources` itself is frozen.

Its purpose is to provide access to a finalized context derived from `variants`.

This context contains:

* `CompileUnitsView`
* `RoleProjectionsView`
* `GenericSourceSetMaterializer`

Conceptually:

```java
interface VariantSourcesContext {
    CompileUnitsView getCompileUnits();
    RoleProjectionsView getRoleProjections();
    GenericSourceSetMaterializer getSourceSets();
}
```

This callback is also replayable.

Example:

```java
variantSources.whenFinalized(ctx -> {
    var units = ctx.getCompileUnits();
    var roles = ctx.getRoleProjections();
    var sourceSets = ctx.getSourceSets();
});
```

---

## `GenericSourceSetMaterializer`

### Purpose

`GenericSourceSetMaterializer` is the official source of truth for materialized source sets.

It is responsible for:

* lazy creation of `GenericSourceSet`
* applying `layerRule`
* connecting a compile unit to a source set provider
* exposing source sets to adapters

This is the correct place to apply `layerRule`.

Adapters should not apply layer rules themselves.

### Conceptual API

```java
interface GenericSourceSetMaterializer {
    NamedDomainObjectProvider<GenericSourceSet> getSourceSet(CompileUnit unit);
}
```

---

## Why `GenericSourceSetMaterializer` should own `layerRule` application

If adapters applied `layerRule` directly, responsibility would leak across multiple layers:

* one component would know compile units
* another would know source semantics
* another would know how to configure `GenericSourceSet`

This would make the model harder to reason about.

Instead:

* `layerRule` is DSL/spec-level
* `GenericSourceSetMaterializer` is execution/materialization-level
* adapters are consumption-level

This gives a much cleaner separation.

---

## `GenericSourceSet` as materialization target

`GenericSourceSet` is the materialized source aggregation object.

It is a good fit because it can represent:

* multiple logical source sets
* aggregated source directories
* declared outputs
* lazy registration through providers

The materializer is therefore the owner of:

* creating `GenericSourceSet`
* populating its source sets
* declaring outputs
* returning a provider for later use

---

## How an adapter should use the model

Example:

```java
variantSources.whenFinalized(ctx -> {
    for (CompileUnit unit : ctx.getCompileUnits().getUnits()) {
        var sourceSetProvider = ctx.getSourceSets().getSourceSet(unit);

        var variant = unit.variant();
        var layer = unit.layer();

        // create compile task for this compile unit
        // configure compiler options from variant semantics
        // use sourceSetProvider as task input
    }

    for (RoleProjection projection : ctx.getRoleProjections().getProjections()) {
        var units = ctx.getRoleProjections().getUnits(projection);

        // aggregate outputs of included compile units
        // use for publication or assembly
    }
});
```

---

## Why compile unit is `(variant, layer)` and not `(variant, role)` or `(variant, role, layer)`

### Not `(variant, role)`

Because role is not a compilation boundary.

Role is a logical grouping of results.

### Not `(variant, role, layer)`

Because role does not define the compile unit itself.

A compile unit is a unit of compilation, not a unit of publication grouping.

### Correct interpretation

* `(variant, layer)` = compile unit
* `(variant, role)` = logical result group
* `(variant, role, layer)` = membership relation between them

This is the most coherent separation.

---

## Model boundaries

### What belongs to `variants`

* declared domains: `Layer`, `Role`, `Variant`
* normalized relation `(variant, role, layer)`
* finalization lifecycle
* finalized `VariantsView`

### What belongs to derived views

* compile units: `(variant, layer)`
* role projections: `(variant, role)`

### What belongs to `variantSources`

* source semantics of layers
* source materialization rules
* lazy `GenericSourceSet` provisioning
* source adapter integration

### What does not belong to `variants`

* source directories
* base paths
* output declarations
* source set layout
* task registration
* compiler-specific assumptions

---

## Design principles

### 1. Keep the core model small

The core model should only contain domain facts.

### 2. Separate domain truth from materialization

The existence of compile units comes from `VariantsView`, not from source rules.

### 3. Treat source materialization as infrastructure

`variantSources` is an interpretation layer, not the source of truth.

### 4. Prefer replayable finalized hooks

Adapters should not depend on raw Gradle lifecycle callbacks such as `afterEvaluate`.

### 5. Keep heavy runtime objects behind providers

Materialized `GenericSourceSet` objects should remain behind a lazy API.

---

## Summary

The model is intentionally split into two layers.

### `variants`

A closed, finalized domain model:

* `Layer`
* `Role`
* `Variant`
* `(variant, role, layer)`

### `variantSources`

An open, source-materialization layer:

* layer source rules
* compile-unit source set materialization
* adapter-facing `GenericSourceSet` providers

### Derived views

From the finalized variant model:

* `CompileUnitsView`: `(variant, layer)`
* `RoleProjectionsView`: `(variant, role)`

### Operational interpretation

* `variant` defines compilation semantics
* `layer` partitions compilation
* `role` groups results by purpose

This keeps the core model stable and minimal, while allowing source handling and adapter integration to remain flexible.