Trouble using mkRaw helper for generating Lua code

[careb0t]

I am trying to configure my alpha.nvim plugin in Nixvim, and I thought it might be a little more straightforward to use the mkRaw helper for using my existing Lua configuration for alpha.nvim for the layout. However when I try using mkRaw to set the value for plugins.alpha.layout I am getting an error stating module [file path to home.nix in nix store] (:anon-4:anon-1) does not look like a module..

Am I using the mkRaw helper incorrectly? I am relatively new to Nix, and almost brand new to Nixvim, so I assume it is some kind of user error rather than a bug or anything. If it is not possible to use mkRaw with nixvim.plugins.alpha.layout to import my alpha.nvim configuration, would it be possible to use a method similar to xdgConfig or home.file to allow an external Lua file to handle configuration of alpha.nvm entirely?

Below is the code for both my Nixvim configuration in my home.nix file, and the original Lua file used to configure alpha.nvim with Lazy.nvim in my normal Neovim setup:

# home.nix

programs.nixvim = {
        enable = true;
        
        # config for options, globals, keybinds, etc

        plugins = {
            alpha = {
                enable = true;
                layout = [helpers.mkRaw "
                    local alpha = require('alpha')
                    local dashboard = require('alpha.themes.dashboard')

                    math.randomseed(os.time())

                    local function pick_color()
                        local colors = { 'String', 'Identifier', 'Keyword', 'Number' }
                        return colors[math.random(#colors)]
                    end

                    local function footer()
                        local datetime = os.date(' %d-%m-%Y   %H:%M:%S')
                        local version = vim.version()
                        local nvim_version_info = '   v' .. version.major .. '.' .. version.minor .. '.' .. version.patch

                        return datetime .. nvim_version_info
                    end

                    local logo = {
                        '            :h-                                  Nhy`               ',
                        '           -mh.                           h.    `Ndho               ',
                        '           hmh+                          oNm.   oNdhh               ',
                        '          `Nmhd`                        /NNmd  /NNhhd               ',
                        '          -NNhhy                      `hMNmmm`+NNdhhh               ',
                        '          .NNmhhs              ```....`..-:/./mNdhhh+               ',
                        '           mNNdhhh-     `.-::///+++////++//:--.`-/sd`               ',
                        '           oNNNdhhdo..://++//++++++/+++//++///++/-.`                ',
                        '      y.   `mNNNmhhhdy+/++++//+/////++//+++///++////-` `/oos:       ',
                        ' .    Nmy:  :NNNNmhhhhdy+/++/+++///:.....--:////+++///:.`:s+        ',
                        ' h-   dNmNmy oNNNNNdhhhhy:/+/+++/-         ---:/+++//++//.`         ',
                        ' hd+` -NNNy`./dNNNNNhhhh+-://///    -+oo:`  ::-:+////++///:`        ',
                        ' /Nmhs+oss-:++/dNNNmhho:--::///    /mmmmmo  ../-///++///////.       ',
                        '  oNNdhhhhhhhs//osso/:---:::///    /yyyyso  ..o+-//////////:/.      ',
                        '   /mNNNmdhhhh/://+///::://////     -:::- ..+sy+:////////::/:/.     ',
                        '     /hNNNdhhs--:/+++////++/////.      ..-/yhhs-/////////::/::/`    ',
                        '       .ooo+/-::::/+///////++++//-/ossyyhhhhs/:///////:::/::::/:    ',
                        '       -///:::::::////++///+++/////:/+ooo+/::///////.::://::---+`   ',
                        '       /////+//++++/////+////-..//////////::-:::--`.:///:---:::/:   ',
                        '       //+++//++++++////+++///::--                 .::::-------::   ',
                        '       :/++++///////////++++//////.                -:/:----::../-   ',
                        '       -/++++//++///+//////////////               .::::---:::-.+`   ',
                        '       `////////////////////////////:.            --::-----...-/    ',
                        '        -///://////////////////////::::-..      :-:-:-..-::.`.+`    ',
                        '         :/://///:///::://::://::::::/:::::::-:---::-.-....``/- -   ',
                        '           ::::://::://::::::::::::::----------..-:....`.../- -+oo/ ',
                        '            -/:::-:::::---://:-::-::::----::---.-.......`-/.      ``',
                        '           s-`::--:::------:////----:---.-:::...-.....`./:          ',
                        '          yMNy.`::-.--::..-dmmhhhs-..-.-.......`.....-/:`           ',
                        '         oMNNNh. `-::--...:NNNdhhh/.--.`..``.......:/-              ',
                        '        :dy+:`      .-::-..NNNhhd+``..`...````.-::-`                ',
                        '                        .-:mNdhh:.......--::::-`                    ',
                        '                           yNh/..------..`                          ',
                        '                                                                    ',
                    }

                    dashboard.section.header.val = logo
                    dashboard.section.header.opts.hl = pick_color()

                    dashboard.section.buttons.val = {
                        dashboard.button('<Leader>ff', '  File Explorer'),
                        dashboard.button('<Leader>fo', '  Find File'),
                        dashboard.button('<Leader>fw', '  Find Word'),
                        dashboard.button('<Leader>ps', '  Update plugins'),
                        dashboard.button('q', '  Quit', ':qa<cr>'),
                    }

                    dashboard.section.footer.val = footer()
                    dashboard.section.footer.opts.hl = 'Constant'

                    alpha.setup(dashboard.opts)

                    vim.cmd([[ autocmd FileType alpha setlocal nofoldenable ]])
                "];

            };

            # more Nixvim plugins

        };
};

-- alpha.lua

return {
    "goolord/alpha-nvim",
    requires = { "kyazdani42/nvim-web-devicons" },
    config = function()
        local alpha = require("alpha")
        local dashboard = require("alpha.themes.dashboard")

        math.randomseed(os.time())

        local function pick_color()
            local colors = { "String", "Identifier", "Keyword", "Number" }
            return colors[math.random(#colors)]
        end

        local function footer()
            local datetime = os.date(" %d-%m-%Y   %H:%M:%S")
            local version = vim.version()
            local nvim_version_info = "   v" .. version.major .. "." .. version.minor .. "." .. version.patch

            return datetime .. nvim_version_info
        end

        local logo = {
            "            :h-                                  Nhy`               ",
            "           -mh.                           h.    `Ndho               ",
            "           hmh+                          oNm.   oNdhh               ",
            "          `Nmhd`                        /NNmd  /NNhhd               ",
            "          -NNhhy                      `hMNmmm`+NNdhhh               ",
            "          .NNmhhs              ```....`..-:/./mNdhhh+               ",
            "           mNNdhhh-     `.-::///+++////++//:--.`-/sd`               ",
            "           oNNNdhhdo..://++//++++++/+++//++///++/-.`                ",
            "      y.   `mNNNmhhhdy+/++++//+/////++//+++///++////-` `/oos:       ",
            " .    Nmy:  :NNNNmhhhhdy+/++/+++///:.....--:////+++///:.`:s+        ",
            " h-   dNmNmy oNNNNNdhhhhy:/+/+++/-         ---:/+++//++//.`         ",
            " hd+` -NNNy`./dNNNNNhhhh+-://///    -+oo:`  ::-:+////++///:`        ",
            " /Nmhs+oss-:++/dNNNmhho:--::///    /mmmmmo  ../-///++///////.       ",
            "  oNNdhhhhhhhs//osso/:---:::///    /yyyyso  ..o+-//////////:/.      ",
            "   /mNNNmdhhhh/://+///::://////     -:::- ..+sy+:////////::/:/.     ",
            "     /hNNNdhhs--:/+++////++/////.      ..-/yhhs-/////////::/::/`    ",
            "       .ooo+/-::::/+///////++++//-/ossyyhhhhs/:///////:::/::::/:    ",
            "       -///:::::::////++///+++/////:/+ooo+/::///////.::://::---+`   ",
            "       /////+//++++/////+////-..//////////::-:::--`.:///:---:::/:   ",
            "       //+++//++++++////+++///::--                 .::::-------::   ",
            "       :/++++///////////++++//////.                -:/:----::../-   ",
            "       -/++++//++///+//////////////               .::::---:::-.+`   ",
            "       `////////////////////////////:.            --::-----...-/    ",
            "        -///://////////////////////::::-..      :-:-:-..-::.`.+`    ",
            "         :/://///:///::://::://::::::/:::::::-:---::-.-....``/- -   ",
            "           ::::://::://::::::::::::::----------..-:....`.../- -+oo/ ",
            "            -/:::-:::::---://:-::-::::----::---.-.......`-/.      ``",
            "           s-`::--:::------:////----:---.-:::...-.....`./:          ",
            "          yMNy.`::-.--::..-dmmhhhs-..-.-.......`.....-/:`           ",
            "         oMNNNh. `-::--...:NNNdhhh/.--.`..``.......:/-              ",
            "        :dy+:`      .-::-..NNNhhd+``..`...````.-::-`                ",
            "                        .-:mNdhh:.......--::::-`                    ",
            "                           yNh/..------..`                          ",
            "                                                                    ",
        }

        dashboard.section.header.val = logo
        dashboard.section.header.opts.hl = pick_color()

        dashboard.section.buttons.val = {
            dashboard.button("<Leader>ff", "  File Explorer"),
            dashboard.button("<Leader>fo", "  Find File"),
            dashboard.button("<Leader>fw", "  Find Word"),
            dashboard.button("<Leader>ps", "  Update plugins"),
            dashboard.button("q", "  Quit", ":qa<cr>"),
        }

        dashboard.section.footer.val = footer()
        dashboard.section.footer.opts.hl = "Constant"

        alpha.setup(dashboard.opts)

        vim.cmd([[ autocmd FileType alpha setlocal nofoldenable ]])
    end,
}

[traxys]

You are using helpers.to which does not seem to be correct. Also do note that [helpers.to "string"] is a list of two elements, not a list of a single element with helpers.to "string", you need to parenthesize the expression.

[careb0t]

Oh oops, the helpers.to is a small typo. I believe I was previously testing helpers.toLuaObject just to see what would happen. It is helpers.mkRaw in the actual code I am trying to run that gave me the error I mentioned.

After including the parentheses around the expression, it seems that actual Lua is now being generated, and I am getting an error related to parsing the Lua:

error: builder for '/nix/store/75vx39j6zxlkgjwibva9vhy7s0ml5b8b-init.lua.drv' failed with exit code 2;
       last 2 log lines:
       > error: could not format file /nix/store/9nmbl3f3la52njnni4985w3x9agxnhz1-init.lua: error parsing: error occurred while creating ast: unexpected token `local`. (starting from line 32, character 21 and ending on line 32, character 26)
       > additional information: expected '}'
       For full logs, run 'nix log /nix/store/75vx39j6zxlkgjwibva9vhy7s0ml5b8b-init.lua.drv'.

It appears that local keyword (ex local alpha = require("alpha") is causing some issues.

[traxys]

Is that the entirety of your home.nix? Or just a snippet?

[careb0t]

That is just the part of my home.nix file that is relevant to nixvim. I do have the inherit (config.nixvim) helpers; bit at the top of my home.nix file as shown in the stable documentation, along with the import from my flake, and nixvim works fine when the the alpha.nvim plugin is disabled.

[traxys]

would it be possible to use a method similar to xdgConfig or home.file to allow an external Lua file to handle configuration of alpha.nvm entirely?

It's entirely possible, see https://nix-community.github.io/nixvim/NeovimOptions/extraFiles/index.html#extrafilesnamesource

[traxys]

Do note that nixvim tries to generate a call to setup, so your current code is likely not what you want. You can inspect the generated lua with nixvim-print-init to check what nixvim does

[careb0t]

Oh that is actually very helpful. I had no idea that was the case, and didn't know about that command either. Thanks. I'll play around with that and see if I can't figure out what Lua I need to be generating for the config of this specific plugin.