np/templates/rde/REFACTORING.md

Template Refactoring Summary

Overview

This document summarizes the refactoring improvements made to the RDE (Research Development Environment) template flake.

Changes Made

1. File Structure Reorganization

Before: Single 688-line flake.nix file After: Modular structure with 17 files across 5 directories

templates/rde/
├── flake.nix (261 lines) - Main configuration
├── README.md - User documentation
├── REFACTORING.md - This file
├── overlays/ (5 files)
│   ├── r.nix - R package configuration
│   ├── python.nix - Python package configuration
│   ├── rix.nix - rstats-on-nix integration
│   ├── theme.nix - Neovim theme setup
│   └── project-scripts.nix - Script wrapper definitions
├── hosts/ (5 files)
│   ├── default.nix - Merges all host configs
│   ├── python.nix - Python command definitions
│   ├── julia.nix - Julia command definitions
│   ├── r.nix - R command definitions
│   └── utils.nix - Utility command definitions
├── lib/ (2 files)
│   ├── shell-hook.nix - Dev shell welcome message
│   └── mini-notify-config.lua - Neovim notification config
└── scripts/ (4 files)
    ├── initPython.sh - Python project initialization
    ├── initProject.sh - Project structure setup
    ├── updateDeps.sh - Dependency update script
    └── activateDevenv.sh - Devenv activation

2. Key Improvements

Separation of Concerns

• Config: Main configuration stays in flake.nix
• Overlays: Package modifications isolated in overlays/
• Hosts: Command definitions organized by language in hosts/
• Scripts: Shell scripts extracted to scripts/ directory
• Helpers: Utility functions in lib/

Readability

• Reduced main file from 688 to 261 lines (62% reduction)
• Added strategic comments explaining key sections
• Extracted long inline strings to separate files
• Grouped related functionality together

Maintainability

• Language-specific changes isolated to dedicated files
• Easy to add new languages (create new host/overlay files)
• Easy to modify scripts without touching Nix code
• Clear separation between different concerns

Reusability

• Individual overlays can be reused in other projects
• Host definitions can be copied/modified independently
• Scripts can be tested/modified separately
• Modular design allows selective adoption

3. Specific Extractions

Shell Scripts (200+ lines → 4 files)

• initPython.sh: Python project initialization logic
• initProject.sh: Directory structure and git setup
• updateDeps.sh: Dependency update automation
• activateDevenv.sh: Devenv shell activation

Overlays (100+ lines → 5 files)

• r.nix: R package management with rix integration
• python.nix: Python package configuration
• rix.nix: rstats-on-nix package source
• theme.nix: Neovim colorscheme handling
• project-scripts.nix: Script wrapper generation

Host Definitions (200+ lines → 5 files)

• python.nix: marimo, ipy, py, initPython commands
• julia.nix: jl, pluto, initJl commands
• r.nix: R console command
• utils.nix: initProject, updateDeps, devenv commands
• default.nix: Merges all host configurations

Helper Functions (40+ lines → 2 files)

• shell-hook.nix: Dev shell welcome message generation
• mini-notify-config.lua: Neovim notification filtering

4. Added Documentation

README.md

• Overview of template purpose
• Directory structure explanation
• Benefits of modular design
• Configuration instructions
• Extension guidelines
• Usage examples

Inline Comments

• Section headers in flake.nix
• Explanation of key configuration blocks
• Purpose of each import
• Documentation of categories and settings

5. Benefits Achieved

1. Maintainability:

   • Changes to one language don't affect others
   • Easy to locate and modify specific functionality
   • Clear ownership of different components

2. Readability:

   • Main file is now scannable and understandable
   • Related code grouped together
   • Inline documentation guides users

3. Testability:

   • Scripts can be tested independently
   • Overlays can be verified in isolation
   • Smaller files are easier to debug

4. Extensibility:

   • Clear patterns for adding new languages
   • Easy to add new commands
   • Simple to customize per language

5. Learning:

   • New users can understand the template structure
   • Examples in each file guide modifications
   • Documentation explains purpose and usage

Migration Guide

For users of the old template:

1. The functionality remains identical
2. Configuration in the main config section is the same
3. All commands work exactly as before
4. To customize, now edit the specific file in the appropriate directory

Future Improvements

Possible future enhancements:

• Add validation scripts for configuration
• Create unit tests for individual modules
• Add more language examples (Go, Rust, etc.)
• Create a configuration wizard script
• Add CI/CD integration examples