“Cabal” is a command-line interface (CLI) tool that provides access to the Haskell package infrastructure, also known as Cabal. It allows developers to manage Haskell projects and handle Cabal packages, which are libraries and applications written in the Haskell programming language. These packages can be obtained from the Hackage package repository, a central repository for Haskell packages.
Here are the key features and functionalities of “Cabal”:
- Project Management: “Cabal” facilitates the management of Haskell projects. Developers can initialize new projects, specify project dependencies, and configure project settings using the command-line interface. It helps organize project structure and facilitates building, testing, and packaging of Haskell projects.
- Package Management: The tool allows users to manage Cabal packages installed on their system. It provides commands to install, update, and remove packages from the local package database. Users can specify package versions and dependencies, ensuring compatibility and consistency in their Haskell projects.
- Dependency Resolution: “Cabal” resolves dependencies automatically, ensuring that the required packages for a Haskell project are installed. It analyzes the project’s dependencies, including both direct and indirect dependencies, and retrieves the necessary packages from the Hackage repository or local cache.
- Sandbox Support: “Cabal” offers a sandbox feature that isolates project dependencies and builds in a separate environment. Sandboxing helps prevent conflicts between different projects and provides a clean and controlled environment for testing and development.
- Building and Compilation: The tool includes commands for building Haskell projects and compiling the source code. It handles the compilation process, manages dependencies, and produces executable files or libraries that can be executed or integrated into other projects.
- Package Documentation: “Cabal” can generate and view documentation for Haskell packages installed on the system. This feature allows developers to access detailed documentation for packages, including module descriptions, function signatures, and usage examples.
- Integration with Hackage: “Cabal” integrates with the Hackage package repository, which hosts a vast collection of Haskell packages. Developers can search for packages, retrieve information about them, and install them directly from Hackage using “Cabal” commands.
“Cabal” simplifies the management of Haskell projects and packages, streamlining the development process and providing a convenient way to handle dependencies, build projects, and integrate with the Hackage repository. It is an essential tool for Haskell developers, enabling efficient development and ensuring a reliable package ecosystem.
cabal Command Examples
1. Search and list packages from Hackage:
# cabal list search_string
2. Show information about a package:
# cabal info package_name
3. Download and install a package:
# cabal install package_name
4. Create a new Haskell project in the current directory:
# cabal init
5. Build the project in the current directory:
# cabal build
6. Run tests of the project in the current directory:
# cabal test