How to issue Message Before Build--or seq problems - nix

Question

I'm trying to add helpful messages for arbitrary builds. If the build fails the user can, for example, install the package with different arguments.
My interface idea is to provide a function, build-with-message, that would be called with something like this:
build-with-message
''Building ${pkg.name}. Alternative invocations are: ..''
pkg
My implementation is based on builtins.seq
build-with-message = msg : pkg :
seq
(self.runCommand "issue-message" {} ''mkdir $out; echo ${msg}'')
pkg;
When I build a package with build-with-message I never see the message. My hunch is that seq evaluates the runCommand far enough to see that a set is returned and moves on to building the package. I tried with deepSeq as well, but a deepSeq build fails on runCommand. I also tried calling out some attributes from the runCommand, e.g.
(self.runCommand "issue-message" {} ''mkdir $out; echo ${msg}'').drvPath
(self.runCommand "issue-message" {} ''mkdir $out; echo ${msg}'').out
My thought being that calling for one of these would prompt the rest of the build. Perhaps I'm not calling the right attribute, but in any case the ones I've tried don't work.
So:
Is there a way to force the runCommand to build in the above scenario?
Is there already some builtin that just lets me issue messages on top of arbitrary builds?

Answer 1

Here's me answering my own question again, consider this a warning.
Solution:
I've in-lined some numbered comments to help with the explanation.
build-with-message = msg : pkg :
let runMsg /*1*/ = self.runCommand "issue-message"
{ version = toString currentTime; /*2*/ } ''
cat <<EOF
${msg}
EOF
echo 0 > $out /*3*/
'';
in seq (import runMsg /*4*/) pkg; /*5*/
Explanation:
runMsg is the derivation that issues the message.
Adding a version based on the current time ensures that the build of runMsg will not be in /nix/store. Otherwise, each unique message will only be issued for the first build.
After the message is printed, a 0 is saved to file as the output of the derivation.
The import loads runMsg--a derivation, and therefore serialized as the path $out. Import expects a nix expression, which in this case is just the number 0 (a valid nix expression).
Now, since the runMsg output will not be available until after it has been built, the seq command will build it (issuing the message) and then build pkg.
Discussion:
I take note of Robert Hensing's comment to my question--this may not be something Nix was not intended for. I'm not arguing against that. Moving on.
Notice that issuing a message like so will add a file to your nix store for every message issued. I don't know if the message build will be garbage collected while pkg is still installed, so there's the possibility of polluting the nix store if such a pattern is overused.
I also think it's really interesting that the result of the runMsg build was to install a nix expression. I suppose this opens the door to doing useful things.