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runtime: GOROOT() docs are confusing #22302

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natefinch opened this issue Oct 17, 2017 · 5 comments
Closed

runtime: GOROOT() docs are confusing #22302

natefinch opened this issue Oct 17, 2017 · 5 comments
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Documentation FrozenDueToAge NeedsFix The path to resolution is known, but the work has not been done.
Milestone
Go1.10

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@natefinch
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natefinch commented Oct 17, 2017 •
edited

The docs say:

GOROOT returns the root of the Go tree. It uses the GOROOT environment variable, if set, or else the root used during the Go build.

Thus I expect this would print "Hi!":

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "log"
    "os"
    "runtime"
)

func main() {
    err := os.Setenv("GOROOT", "Hi!")
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    fmt.Println(runtime.GOROOT())
}

However, this prints my real goroot, not "Hi!".

Either GOROOT() should actually check the environment variable when called, or the docs should be clarified to specify that it returns the GOROOT environment variable set at init() time.
@ianlancetaylor ianlancetaylor added this to the Go1.10 milestone Oct 17, 2017
@dmitshur
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dmitshur commented Oct 17, 2017 •
edited

@gopherbot added the Documentation label automatically due to "docs" in issue title, but I think it needs to be decided/confirmed whether it's a bug in implementation or documentation.

If the current behavior is deemed correct, here's a take at fixing the documentation:

GOROOT returns the root of the Go tree. It uses the GOROOT environment variable, if set at process start, or else the root used during the Go build.

Also, https://godoc.org/runtime#NumCPU has some precedent:

The set of available CPUs is checked by querying the operating system at process startup. Changes to operating system CPU allocation after process startup are not reflected.

@mvdan mvdan added NeedsDecision Feedback is required from experts, contributors, and/or the community before a change can be made. and removed Documentation labels Oct 18, 2017
@mvdan
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mvdan commented Oct 18, 2017

Oh well, I tried.

@rsc
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rsc commented Oct 30, 2017

Decision: document current behavior. runtime.GOROOT is already too subtle without changing this detail.

@rsc rsc added the NeedsFix The path to resolution is known, but the work has not been done. label Oct 30, 2017
@gopherbot gopherbot removed the NeedsDecision Feedback is required from experts, contributors, and/or the community before a change can be made. label Oct 30, 2017
@dmitshur
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In that case, it'll be a good idea to add a test for this behavior (if one doesn't already exist).

@dmitshur dmitshur mentioned this issue Nov 2, 2017
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@gopherbot
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Change https://golang.org/cl/75751 mentions this issue: runtime: clarify GOROOT return value in documentation

@dmitshur dmitshur mentioned this issue Sep 17, 2018
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@rsc @dmitshur @natefinch @ianlancetaylor @mvdan @gopherbot