docs/versions/8.7.0/rules/lib/repo/local.mdx

---
title: 'local repository rules'
---

The following functions can be loaded from
`@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:local.bzl`.

Rules for making directories in the local filesystem available as repos.

### Setup

To use these rules in a module extension, load them in your .bzl file and then call them from your
extension's implementation function. For example, to use `local_repository`:

```python
load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:local.bzl", "local_repository")

def _my_extension_impl(mctx):
  local_repository(name = "foo", path = "foo")

my_extension = module_extension(implementation = _my_extension_impl)
```

Alternatively, you can directly call these repo rules in your MODULE.bazel file with
`use_repo_rule`:

```python
local_repository = use_repo_rule("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:local.bzl", "local_repository")
local_repository(name = "foo", path = "foo")
```

<a id="local_repository"></a>

## local_repository

<pre>
load("@bazel//tools/build_defs/repo:local.bzl", "local_repository")

local_repository(<a href="#local_repository-name">name</a>, <a href="#local_repository-path">path</a>, <a href="#local_repository-repo_mapping">repo_mapping</a>)
</pre>

Makes a local directory that already contains Bazel files available as a repo. This directory should contain Bazel BUILD files and a repo boundary file already. If it doesn't contain these files, consider using [`new_local_repository`](#new_local_repository) instead.

**ATTRIBUTES**

<table class="params-table">
<colgroup>
<col class="col-param" />
<col class="col-description" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr id="local_repository-name">
<td><code>name</code></td>
<td>

<a href="https://bazel.build/versions/8.7.0/concepts/labels#target-names">Name</a>; required

<p>

A unique name for this repository.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="local_repository-path">
<td><code>path</code></td>
<td>

String; required

<p>

The path to the directory to make available as a repo.

The path can be either absolute, or relative to the workspace root.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="local_repository-repo_mapping">
<td><code>repo_mapping</code></td>
<td>

<a href="https://bazel.build/versions/8.7.0/rules/lib/dict">Dictionary: String -> String</a>; optional

<p>

In `WORKSPACE` context only: a dictionary from local repository name to global repository name. This allows controls over workspace dependency resolution for dependencies of this repository.

For example, an entry `"@foo": "@bar"` declares that, for any time this repository depends on `@foo` (such as a dependency on `@foo//some:target`, it should actually resolve that dependency within globally-declared `@bar` (`@bar//some:target`).

This attribute is _not_ supported in `MODULE.bazel` context (when invoking a repository rule inside a module extension's implementation function).

</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<a id="new_local_repository"></a>

## new_local_repository

<pre>
load("@bazel//tools/build_defs/repo:local.bzl", "new_local_repository")

new_local_repository(<a href="#new_local_repository-name">name</a>, <a href="#new_local_repository-build_file">build_file</a>, <a href="#new_local_repository-build_file_content">build_file_content</a>, <a href="#new_local_repository-path">path</a>, <a href="#new_local_repository-repo_mapping">repo_mapping</a>)
</pre>

Makes a local directory that doesn't contain Bazel files available as a repo. This directory need not contain Bazel BUILD files or a repo boundary file; they will be created by this repo rule. If the directory already contains Bazel files, consider using [`local_repository`](#local_repository) instead.

**ATTRIBUTES**

<table class="params-table">
<colgroup>
<col class="col-param" />
<col class="col-description" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr id="new_local_repository-name">
<td><code>name</code></td>
<td>

<a href="https://bazel.build/versions/8.7.0/concepts/labels#target-names">Name</a>; required

<p>

A unique name for this repository.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="new_local_repository-build_file">
<td><code>build_file</code></td>
<td>

<a href="https://bazel.build/versions/8.7.0/concepts/labels">Label</a>; optional

<p>

A file to use as a BUILD file for this repo.

Exactly one of `build_file` and `build_file_content` must be specified.

The file addressed by this label does not need to be named BUILD, but can be. Something like `BUILD.new-repo-name` may work well to distinguish it from actual BUILD files.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="new_local_repository-build_file_content">
<td><code>build_file_content</code></td>
<td>

String; optional

<p>

The content of the BUILD file to be created for this repo.

Exactly one of `build_file` and `build_file_content` must be specified.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="new_local_repository-path">
<td><code>path</code></td>
<td>

String; required

<p>

The path to the directory to make available as a repo.

The path can be either absolute, or relative to the workspace root.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="new_local_repository-repo_mapping">
<td><code>repo_mapping</code></td>
<td>

<a href="https://bazel.build/versions/8.7.0/rules/lib/dict">Dictionary: String -> String</a>; optional

<p>

In `WORKSPACE` context only: a dictionary from local repository name to global repository name. This allows controls over workspace dependency resolution for dependencies of this repository.

For example, an entry `"@foo": "@bar"` declares that, for any time this repository depends on `@foo` (such as a dependency on `@foo//some:target`, it should actually resolve that dependency within globally-declared `@bar` (`@bar//some:target`).

This attribute is _not_ supported in `MODULE.bazel` context (when invoking a repository rule inside a module extension's implementation function).

</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>