Inform user the full path where the executable is copied/symlinked with v2-install

[jneira]

Actually cabal install output ends with (you can replace Copying with Symlinking)

Copying 'executable1.exe'
Copying 'executable2.exe'
...

and cabal install -v3 with:

creating D:\bin 
Copying 'executable1.exe'
Copying 'executable2.exe'
....

being D:\bin the dir where the executables are being copied/symlinked. Even when the directory already exists (but that is not the goal of this issue)!

I think it would be great show the absolute path where the artifacts are being created even with the default verbosity:

Copying 'executable1.exe' to 'D:\bin'
Copying 'executable2.exe' to 'D:\bin'

or, if all of them only could be created in one location (not sure about that)

Copying executables to 'D:\bin'
Copying 'executable1.exe'
Copying 'executable2.exe'

It seems a small change but the directory value can come from several sources and beginners not always are aware of them.
I think bug fixes should be the priority here but this seems to be easy to implement (ha! 😝)

[emlautarom1]

Could you point to where these messages are generated? I would like to look into this. Seems fairly easy

[jneira]

I think this is the main functions where several executables are copying/symlinking:

cabal/cabal-install/Distribution/Client/CmdInstall.hs

Lines 798 to 812 in 2e03231

	installUnitExes verbosity overwritePolicy
	mkSourceBinDir mkExeName mkFinalExeName
	installdir installMethod
	(unit, components) =
	traverse_ installAndWarn exes
	where
	exes = catMaybes $ (exeMaybe . fst) <$> components
	exeMaybe (ComponentTarget (CExeName exe) _) = Just exe
	exeMaybe _ = Nothing
	installAndWarn exe = do
	success <- installBuiltExe
	verbosity overwritePolicy
	(mkSourceBinDir unit) (mkExeName exe)
	(mkFinalExeName exe)
	installdir installMethod

It calls this for each one:

cabal/cabal-install/Distribution/Client/CmdInstall.hs

Lines 826 to 834 in 2e03231

	-- | Install a specific exe.
	installBuiltExe
	:: Verbosity -> OverwritePolicy
	-> FilePath -- ^ The directory where the built exe is located
	-> FilePath -- ^ The exe's filename
	-> FilePath -- ^ The exe's filename in the public install directory
	-> FilePath -- ^ the directory where it should be installed
	-> InstallMethod
	-> IO Bool -- ^ Whether the installation was successful

[emlautarom1]

I'll take a look into it.

Some questions:

• Displaying the path where files are being copied should be the default behavior or it should depend on some verbosity flags? It seems a little change, so I'll show it by default, but I don't know what everyone thinks.
• What about Symlinking? should we also show were we are linking files?

[phadej]

What about Symlinking? should we also show were we are linking files?

Yes

Displaying the...

Let's not parameterize that output by verbosity. Then it should be one line change (if tests don't need to be updated).

[emlautarom1]

I think it's good to go, please, take a look at: #6582

[phadej]

Resolved in #6582 + #6590

[jneira]

Thanks @emlautarom1 and @phadej (it is clear that maintaining a package like cabal is really, really hard)!