docs/versions/6.2.0/rules/lib/repo/utils.mdx

---
title: 'utils repository rules'
---

The following functions can be loaded from
`@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:utils.bzl`.
<!-- Generated with Stardoc: http://skydoc.bazel.build -->

<a id="#maybe"></a>

## maybe

<pre>
maybe(<a href="#maybe-repo_rule">repo_rule</a>, <a href="#maybe-name">name</a>, <a href="#maybe-kwargs">kwargs</a>)
</pre>

Utility function for only adding a repository if it's not already present.

This is to implement safe repositories.bzl macro documented in
https://bazel.build/rules/deploying#dependencies.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

repository rule function.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="maybe-name">
<td><code>name</code></td>
<td>

required.

<p>

name of the repository to create.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="maybe-kwargs">
<td><code>kwargs</code></td>
<td>

optional.

<p>

remaining arguments that are passed to the repo_rule function.

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

<a id="#parse_netrc"></a>

## parse_netrc

<pre>
parse_netrc(<a href="#parse_netrc-contents">contents</a>, <a href="#parse_netrc-filename">filename</a>)
</pre>

Utility function to parse at least a basic .netrc file.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

input for the parser.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="parse_netrc-filename">
<td><code>filename</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

filename to use in error messages, if any.

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

<a id="#patch"></a>

## patch

<pre>
patch(<a href="#patch-ctx">ctx</a>, <a href="#patch-patches">patches</a>, <a href="#patch-patch_cmds">patch_cmds</a>, <a href="#patch-patch_cmds_win">patch_cmds_win</a>, <a href="#patch-patch_tool">patch_tool</a>, <a href="#patch-patch_args">patch_args</a>, <a href="#patch-auth">auth</a>)
</pre>

Implementation of patching an already extracted repository.

This rule is intended to be used in the implementation function of
a repository rule. If the parameters `patches`, `patch_tool`,
`patch_args`, `patch_cmds` and `patch_cmds_win` are not specified
then they are taken from `ctx.attr`.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

The repository context of the repository rule calling this utility
  function.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="patch-patches">
<td><code>patches</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

The patch files to apply. List of strings, Labels, or paths.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="patch-patch_cmds">
<td><code>patch_cmds</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

Bash commands to run for patching, passed one at a
  time to bash -c. List of strings

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="patch-patch_cmds_win">
<td><code>patch_cmds_win</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

Powershell commands to run for patching, passed
  one at a time to powershell /c. List of strings. If the
  boolean value of this parameter is false, patch_cmds will be
  used and this parameter will be ignored.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="patch-patch_tool">
<td><code>patch_tool</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

Path of the patch tool to execute for applying
  patches. String.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="patch-patch_args">
<td><code>patch_args</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

Arguments to pass to the patch tool. List of strings.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="patch-auth">
<td><code>auth</code></td>
<td>

optional.
default is <code>None</code>

<p>

An optional dict specifying authentication information for some of the URLs.

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

<a id="#read_netrc"></a>

## read_netrc

<pre>
read_netrc(<a href="#read_netrc-ctx">ctx</a>, <a href="#read_netrc-filename">filename</a>)
</pre>

Utility function to parse at least a basic .netrc file.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

The repository context of the repository rule calling this utility
  function.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="read_netrc-filename">
<td><code>filename</code></td>
<td>

required.

<p>

the name of the .netrc file to read

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

<a id="#read_user_netrc"></a>

## read_user_netrc

<pre>
read_user_netrc(<a href="#read_user_netrc-ctx">ctx</a>)
</pre>

Read user's default netrc file.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

The repository context of the repository rule calling this utility function.

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

<a id="#update_attrs"></a>

## update_attrs

<pre>
update_attrs(<a href="#update_attrs-orig">orig</a>, <a href="#update_attrs-keys">keys</a>, <a href="#update_attrs-override">override</a>)
</pre>

Utility function for altering and adding the specified attributes to a particular repository rule invocation.

 This is used to make a rule reproducible.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

dict of actually set attributes (either explicitly or implicitly)
    by a particular rule invocation

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="update_attrs-keys">
<td><code>keys</code></td>
<td>

required.

<p>

complete set of attributes defined on this rule

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="update_attrs-override">
<td><code>override</code></td>
<td>

required.

<p>

dict of attributes to override or add to orig

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

<a id="#use_netrc"></a>

## use_netrc

<pre>
use_netrc(<a href="#use_netrc-netrc">netrc</a>, <a href="#use_netrc-urls">urls</a>, <a href="#use_netrc-patterns">patterns</a>)
</pre>

Compute an auth dict from a parsed netrc file and a list of URLs.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

a netrc file already parsed to a dict, e.g., as obtained from
  read_netrc

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="use_netrc-urls">
<td><code>urls</code></td>
<td>

required.

<p>

a list of URLs.

</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="use_netrc-patterns">
<td><code>patterns</code></td>
<td>

required.

<p>

optional dict of url to authorization patterns

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

<a id="#workspace_and_buildfile"></a>

## workspace_and_buildfile

<pre>
workspace_and_buildfile(<a href="#workspace_and_buildfile-ctx">ctx</a>)
</pre>

Utility function for writing WORKSPACE and, if requested, a BUILD file.

This rule is intended to be used in the implementation function of a
repository rule.
It assumes the parameters `name`, `build_file`, `build_file_content`,
`workspace_file`, and `workspace_file_content` to be
present in `ctx.attr`; the latter four possibly with value None.

### Parameters

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

required.

<p>

The repository context of the repository rule calling this utility
  function.

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