Show features with cargo install --list

[smoelius]

Problem

Show the features that were selected when a package was installed.

Proposed Solution

Display this additional information when -v/--verbose is passed.

E.g., something like this:

$ cargo install --list
...
cargo-audit v0.18.3:
    cargo-audit
cargo-dylint v2.6.1:
    cargo-dylint
cargo-hack v0.6.15:
    cargo-hack
...
$ cargo install --list --verbose
...
cargo-audit v0.18.3:
    cargo-audit
cargo-dylint v2.6.1 (features: metadata-cli):
    cargo-dylint
cargo-hack v0.6.15:
    cargo-hack
...

Notes

Would you be open to a PR to do this?

[epage]

Overall, I can't think of any concerns. For myself, I would like to better understand the situation. I don't think I've ever changed the features of the CLIs I use (or known they had other features). Is this a fairly common thing you run into? In what way is seeing the feature helpful to you (I also forget --list exists)?

[smoelius]

Is this a fairly common thing you run into?

I don't know how common it is for CLI tools to have features. But a GitHub search shows that some popular tools do, e.g.,:

• Ripgrep
• Wasmtime

Frankly, I want this for my self. I have a tool with an optional, experimental feature. I want to be able to easily tell whether I installed the tool with that feature enabled.

In what way is seeing the feature helpful to you (I also forget --list exists)?

In addition to the points above, Cargo will install over an existing package if the selected features differ. So, knowing what features were enabled when a tool was installed can help you to know whether a subsequent cargo install is necessary/will succeed. E.g.:

cargo install ripgrep
cargo install ripgrep # doesn't work

cargo install ripgrep --features=pcre2
cargo install ripgrep # works

[weihanglo]

know whether a subsequent cargo install is necessary/will succeed.

This part sounds pretty similar to #11123

[smoelius]

Shortly after I opened this issue, I learned about cargo tree's --format option, which includes:

{f} — Comma-separated list of package features that are enabled.

Since there would be overlap between what I am asking for and the cargo tree option, I think the two should be unified somehow.

At a minimum, the feature I am asking for deserves more thought.

So I am just going to close this for now.