docs/versions/8.1.1/rules/lib/builtins/runfiles.mdx

---
title: 'runfiles'
---

A container of information regarding a set of files required at runtime execution. This object should be passed via [DefaultInfo](../providers/DefaultInfo) in order to tell the build system about the runfiles needed by the outputs produced by the rule.

See [runfiles guide](https://bazel.build/versions/8.1.1/extending/rules#runfiles) for details.

## Members

* [empty\_filenames](#empty_filenames)
* [files](#files)
* [merge](#merge)
* [merge\_all](#merge_all)
* [root\_symlinks](#root_symlinks)
* [symlinks](#symlinks)

## empty\_filenames

```
depset runfiles.empty_filenames
```

Returns names of empty files to create.

## files

```
depset runfiles.files
```

Returns the set of runfiles as files.

## merge

```
runfiles runfiles.merge(other)
```

Returns a new runfiles object that includes all the contents of this one and the argument.

*Note:* When you have many runfiles objects to merge, use [`merge_all()`](#merge_all) rather than calling `merge` in a loop. This avoids constructing deep depset structures which can cause build failures.

### Parameters

| Parameter | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `other` | [runfiles](../builtins/runfiles); required  The runfiles object to merge into this. |

## merge\_all

```
runfiles runfiles.merge_all(other)
```

Returns a new runfiles object that includes all the contents of this one and of the runfiles objects in the argument.

### Parameters

| Parameter | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `other` | [sequence](../core/list) of [runfiles](../builtins/runfiles)s; required  The sequence of runfiles objects to merge into this. |

## root\_symlinks

```
depset runfiles.root_symlinks
```

Returns the set of root symlinks.

## symlinks

```
depset runfiles.symlinks
```

Returns the set of symlinks.