bazel query doesn't return the .bzl files that load external repositories

[linzhp]

Description of the problem / feature request:

bazel query doesn't return the .bzl files that load an external repository

Bugs: what's the simplest, easiest way to reproduce this bug? Please provide a minimal example if possible.

1. Create such Bazel workspace:

-- BUILD.bazel --
-- WORKSPACE --
load("//:http_archives.bzl", "http_archives")

http_archives()

load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:deps.bzl", "go_register_toolchains", "go_rules_dependencies")

go_rules_dependencies()

go_register_toolchains(version = "1.17.1")


load("@com_google_protobuf//:protobuf_deps.bzl", "protobuf_deps")

protobuf_deps()
-- http_archives.bzl --
load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")

def http_archives():
    http_archive(
        name = "io_bazel_rules_go",
        sha256 = "2b1641428dff9018f9e85c0384f03ec6c10660d935b750e3fa1492a281a53b0f",
        urls = [
            "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/rules_go/releases/download/v0.29.0/rules_go-v0.29.0.zip",
            "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_go/releases/download/v0.29.0/rules_go-v0.29.0.zip",
        ],
    )
    http_archive(
        name = "com_google_protobuf",
        sha256 = "d0f5f605d0d656007ce6c8b5a82df3037e1d8fe8b121ed42e536f569dec16113",
        strip_prefix = "protobuf-3.14.0",
        urls = [
            "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v3.14.0.tar.gz",
            "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v3.14.0.tar.gz",
        ],
    )

2. Run bazel query 'buildfiles(//external:io_bazel_rules_go)' in it.

The query only returns //external:WORKSPACE, while @io_bazel_rules_go is actually defined in http_archives.bzl.

What operating system are you running Bazel on?

macOS 12.0.1 and Linux 5.4.129

What's the output of bazel info release?

release 4.2.1

Any other information, logs, or outputs that you want to share?

• bazel query 'loadfiles(//external:io_bazel_rules_go)' returns "Empty results".
• bazel query --output=xml '//external:io_bazel_rules_go' returns

<?xml version="1.1" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<query version="2">
    <rule class="http_archive" location="/private/tmp/loadfiles/WORKSPACE:3:14" name="//external:io_bazel_rules_go">
        <string name="name" value="io_bazel_rules_go"/>
        <string name="generator_name" value="io_bazel_rules_go"/>
        <string name="generator_function" value="http_archives"/>
        <string name="generator_location"/>
        <list name="urls">
            <string value="https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/rules_go/releases/download/v0.29.0/rules_go-v0.29.0.zip"/>
            <string value="https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_go/releases/download/v0.29.0/rules_go-v0.29.0.zip"/>
        </list>
        <string name="sha256" value="2b1641428dff9018f9e85c0384f03ec6c10660d935b750e3fa1492a281a53b0f"/>
    </rule>
</query>

The generator_location is empty.

[libratiger]

@linzhp If possible you can try on other OS, such as on Linux.

[linzhp]

Tried on Linux, and got the same result. Updated the description.

[libratiger]

The io_bazel_rules_go only used in the workplace, so this is not a problem。

[linzhp]

@gregestren I think this is a bug, not a feature request.
@libratiger This is a problem for us. Because of this, we can't find all .bzl files Bazel needs to start a build in a git sparse checkout.

[gregestren]

@linzhp noted. I marked it as such because I'm not sure if this is query processing something incorrectly vs. just not being updated for external repo support for cases like this.

I'm happy to let you and the domain experts (labeled on the issue) clarify as makes sense between you.