You basically have two choices: you can take the complexity upfront, and in a predictable fashion by learning Nix, or you can deal with the complexity after the fact when you’re dealing with dependency hell and a deadline is looming and your boss and/or client is mad.
The Nix language is basically JSON plus syntax sugar plus pure functions. A Nix derivation can be thought of as a super-powered lockfile that includes not just the versions of the dependencies, but also the build instructions and the environment in which to build them.
The argument for Nix is basically the same argument as the one for writing pure functions as much as possible, or not doing so. Any amount of experience doing the former will demonstrate that it is superior.
Now, Nix may be complex, and some of that may be reducible, but the fundamental idea of treating a build like a pure function is NOT reducible, and is well worth the effort of learning, because it will apply to ANY future pure build and dependency management tool
The Nix language is basically JSON plus syntax sugar plus pure functions. A Nix derivation can be thought of as a super-powered lockfile that includes not just the versions of the dependencies, but also the build instructions and the environment in which to build them.
The argument for Nix is basically the same argument as the one for writing pure functions as much as possible, or not doing so. Any amount of experience doing the former will demonstrate that it is superior.
Now, Nix may be complex, and some of that may be reducible, but the fundamental idea of treating a build like a pure function is NOT reducible, and is well worth the effort of learning, because it will apply to ANY future pure build and dependency management tool