Automatic update of managed layers if not yet checked out

[sbixl]

Hi,

if working with managed layers and checking out the recipes Repo initially, the command bob layer update must be called first.

Couldn't Bob do this automatically if it detects that no layer has been checked out while e.g bob dev is invoked?

[rhubert]

Hi,
this is already implemented?
bob dev (without build-only) performs a layers update on each run...

[sbixl]

Sorry, my mistake. Indeed while invoking bob dev the checkout of the layer(s) is performed.

But when i execute the bob ls command (which for some user is the first command to be executed after checkout) bob reports that the layers initially have to be fetched manually.

Not sure if this can be automated too?

[jkloetzke]

The general idea was that a command like bob ls should not automatically update the layers because this is unexpected. Users don't expect bob ls to change their workspace. Only state changing commands like bob build/dev or bob layers update should do that.

Having said that, I see the point that this does not make much sense when the layers have never been fetched. So instead we could fetch missing layers on all commands. But this brings us into the uncomfortable position to add the -lc (layer config) to all commands even though they are practically never used. This does not feel right either.

Out of curiosity: is this just a convenience issue or has it been a real problem. In the sense that the error message did not give the right clue?

[sbixl]

Ah ok, i see the point. It is not a real problem. I asked just for convenience reasons. Since Bob returns a meaningfull message in this scenario it make sense to keep the behaviour as it is. Thank you both for clarification. 👍