[question] Using dependency with override flag inside library

[whs31]

What is your question?

I'm trying to use asio-grpc library inside my conan package, which I'll be exporting. But when I'm trying to override grpc version for asio-grpc package inside my conanfile, exporting breaks.

Removing the override flag works as intended.

Environment Details

• Operating System+version: Windows 11 22H2
• Compiler+version: MSVC 2022
• Conan version: 2.11.0
• Python version: 3.12.0

Steps to reproduce

• Create a conanfile with the following requirements:

def requirements(self):
        self.requires("grpc/1.67.1", override=True, transitive_libs=True, transitive_headers=True)
        self.requires("asio-grpc/2.9.2", transitive_libs=True, transitive_headers=True)

# ... 

def package_info(self):
        self.cpp_info.set_property("cmake_file_name", "my_package")
        self.cpp_info.set_property("cmake_target_name", "my_package::my_package")
        self.cpp_info.libs = ["my_package"]
        self.cpp_info.requires = [
            "asio-grpc::asio-grpc",
            "grpc::grpc"
        ]
        self.cpp_info.resdirs = ["share"]

• Run conan create .
• Get error message:

ERROR: my_package/2.0.0: required component package 'grpc::' not in dependencies

Have you read the CONTRIBUTING guide?

• I've read the CONTRIBUTING guide

[whs31]

Update: for some reason it also works with the 'override' flag if I remove it from self.cpp_info.requires:

self.cpp_info.requires = [  "asio-grpc::asio-grpc" ] # this works

# this doesn't
self.cpp_info.requires = [
  "asio-grpc::asio-grpc",
  "grpc::grpc"
]

Both packages are present in the requirements method.

I would appreciate it if you could clarify the details of this behavior.

[memsharded]

Hi @whs31

Thanks for your question:

self.requires("grpc/1.67.1", override=True, transitive_libs=True, transitive_headers=True)

This means: "if there is an existing verison of grpc up in the dependency graph, please use the 1.67.1 version instead of the required version up there. But if there is no grpc up in the dependency graph, do nothing". That is, it only "overrides" if it is existing, if it doesn't exist, it does nothing.

If you want to force the dependency to grpc/1.67.1, then use force=True instead of override=True, and that will add the dependency always, even if it doesn't exist upstream, and if it exists upstream it will enforce the 1.67.1 version.

[whs31]

Thank you very much for your answer, I think the force flag is exactly what I need in my case.

[AbrilRBS]

I'm moving this to the docs repo to better clarify the difference between both traits, thanks a lot for your question :)