Why adding a line of load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_binary", "cc_library") ?

[wuhy08]

I am new to Bazel and I am going thru the tutorial.

I see that almost all BUILD files added a line of load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_binary", "cc_library"). I wonder what is the reason?

Build will fail with this line added but succeed without this line. Bazel version # is 0.26.0.

It seems to me that the BUILD file will explicitly load the rule_cc, is this required by newer version of Bazel?

[hlopko]

Yup this is because of incoming incompatible change bazelbuild/bazel#8743.

Right now Bazel works both ways so people can forward-migrate. Eventually when the flag is flipped load statements will be required.

[nettyxiong]

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