Central Docs
Catálogo Inicio

RIF Packages

.pack is RIF's portable target package. It is a reproducible ZIP archive containing the RIF source graph and, when requested, a precompiled SQLite database.

Creating a Package

rif --pack main.rif
rif --pack main.rif -o targets/amd64.pack

The package includes:

manifest.json
sources/main.rif
sources/other.rif
funcs.py                 (optional)
assets/...               (optional `.file` insert payloads)
compiled.sqlite          (when precompiled)

The manifest records the package format, source hashes, @LOAD graph, dependency order, optional functions, and optional compiled database. Files referenced by @insert .file directives are copied as opaque assets with their own size and SHA-256 entries. They are deliberately not executed while creating the package.

Why Use a Package?

A package resolves and validates the source graph before the target is used. With precompilation enabled, it also stores the compiled Rule Set, configuration, linker context, defines, and table rows in SQLite. Opening the package can then load the target without parsing every source file again.

Packages are especially useful when:

  • a target has many loaded .rif files;
  • tables are large;
  • multiple MIR programs use the same target;
  • the target must be distributed as one artifact.

Package Validation

RIF validates manifest paths and SHA-256 hashes. It rejects missing load dependencies, load cycles, tampered source files, incompatible compiled schema versions, and invalid package metadata.

The package remains a target definition. It does not contain the external MIR program or the final binary unless the caller writes that output separately.