Verified routes & compile time dependencies

zachdaniel · August 6, 2024, 3:33pm

I’ve noticed that verified routes incurs a bunch of compile time dependencies that I can’t figure out. I’m trying to unravel how this works, but if the router references a module that does a use MyAppWeb, :verified_routes, this causes the router to be recompiled for modules that are seemingly unrelated.

For example, the router in this project will recompile whenever TestWeb.Gettext is recompiled. If you comment out the compile time link to Test in the router, the router will no longer recompile when TestWeb.Gettext is recompiled.

I’m only using TestWeb.Gettext as an example. People probably don’t modify that module often if at all, but it’s occurring in other projects on modules that do change quite often.

Any ideas?

zachdaniel · August 6, 2024, 3:46pm

I may actually open an issue for this because it’s having pretty tangible impacts on our projects compile times.

EDIT:

I’ve opened an issue:

github.com/phoenixframework/phoenix

Verified routes & compile time dependencies

opened 05:01PM - 06 Aug 24 UTC

zachdaniel

### Environment * Elixir version (elixir -v): 1.17.1 * Phoenix version (mix… deps): 1.7.14 * Operating system: Mac OS Sonoma (beta) ### Actual behavior I’ve noticed that verified routes incurs a bunch of compile time dependencies that I can’t figure out. I’m trying to unravel how this works, but if the router references a module that does a use MyAppWeb, :verified_routes, this causes the router to be recompiled for modules that are seemingly unrelated. For example, the router in this project will recompile whenever TestWeb.Gettext is recompiled. If you comment out the compile time link to Test in the router, the router will no longer recompile when TestWeb.Gettext is recompiled. I’m only using TestWeb.Gettext as an example. People probably don’t modify that module often if at all, but it’s occurring in other projects on modules that do change quite often. I'm reporting this as a "bug" but I understand it could be a flaw in my understanding and/or just a "downside" of some existing design decision. However, if it *is* something that can be addressed at the framework level, it could make significant differences on many projects I'm also pretty good at working with xref and tracking down compile time dependencies, so the fact that I can't figure this out might mean that, if it is working as intended, a blurb could be added to the docs explaining it. (I'm happy to do this once its clear to me). ### Expected behavior Referring a module that uses verified routes doesn't incur new additional compile time dependencies that the other module doesn't have.