git_repository ignoring repo's WORKSPACE

[cpenner-va]

Description of the problem / feature request / question:

Bazel doesn't seem to be respecting WORKSPACE for packages inside repos when using the git_repository rule.

I'm adding a target to our system to run generate_workspace to simplify the process of generating a workspace for my teammates; to do so I'm including the new generate_workspace from https://github.com/bazelbuild/migration-tooling like so:

# WORKSPACE
load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:git.bzl", "git_repository")
git_repository(
    name = "io_bazel_migration_tooling",
    remote = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/migration-tooling",
    commit = "be4bd8a8a953543a0e4fd2f5f0aa62d7bcca0830",
)

However, when I try to build the target using

bazel build @io_bazel_migration_tooling//generate_workspace

I get the following error:

ERROR: /private/var/tmp/_bazel_cpenner/9b118102cdffeca44d4b37a64afaa853/external/io_bazel_migration_tooling/generate_workspace/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/workspace/BUILD:1:1: no such package '@guava//jar': error loading package 'external': The repository named 'guava' could not be resolved and referenced by '@io_bazel_migration_tooling//generate_workspace/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/workspace:workspace'.
ERROR: Analysis of target '@io_bazel_migration_tooling//generate_workspace:generate_workspace' failed; build aborted.
INFO: Elapsed time: 3.019s

It seems that the WORKSPACE of the migration-tools repo is being ignored for some reason which is causing this to fail.

If possible, provide a minimal example to reproduce the problem:

Create new package with the following workspace:

#WORKSPACE
load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:git.bzl","new_git_repository", "git_repository")
git_repository(
    name = "io_bazel_migration_tooling",
    remote = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/migration-tooling",
    commit = "be4bd8a8a953543a0e4fd2f5f0aa62d7bcca0830",
)

Then run bazel build @io_bazel_migration_tooling//generate_workspace.

Environment info

• Operating System:
  Mac OS Sierra
  10.12.4 (16E195)

• Bazel version (output of bazel info release):
  release 0.4.5

[kchodorow]

Unfortunately, this is "WAI" until #1943 is resolved. Bazel only parses the WORKSPACE file of you "main" repository, not the child WORKSPACE files.

You can add an @guava target to your project's WORKSPACE file, if you want to build generate_workspace.

[cpenner-va]

Thanks, That's the solution I went with for now.