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+# Nix support for pytket-qir
+
+## Background
+
+Tket now comes with Nix support. What this means is that the
+steps required to launch into an environment with tket and pytket
+available on Linux x86-64 and Mac Silicon machines is a single
+invocation:
+
+```
+nix develop github:CQCL/tket
+```
+
+Currently this will build all of the necessary dependencies,
+establish the environment, and enter into a shell where
+tket and pytket are available for use. Soon we aim to add Cachix,
+so that the dependencies are served pre-built to the user.
+
+## Using pytket-qir
+
+The nix.flake in this repository is able to access tket and pytket
+from the CQCL/tket nix flake, pinned at the commit and hash noted
+in flake.lock (see the Maintenance section). It then exposes
+pytket-qir as a package, and provides a development shell containing
+pytket-qir.
+
+To launch into an environment with pytket-qir available, use
+```
+nix develop github:CQCL/pytket-qir
+```
+
+from which pytket-qir is now available
+```
+y$ nix develop github:CQCL/pytket-qir/feature/nix-support
+
+$ python3
+Python 3.11.7 (main, Dec  4 2023, 18:10:11) [GCC 13.2.0] on linux
+Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
+>>> from pytket.circuit import Circuit
+>>> from pytket.qir.conversion.api import QIRFormat, pytket_to_qir
+>>> c = Circuit(2)
+>>> c.H(0)
+[H q[0]; ]
+>>> c.H(1)
+[H q[0]; H q[1]; ]
+>>> c.CX(0, 1)
+[H q[0]; H q[1]; CX q[0], q[1]; ]
+>>> c.H(0)
+[H q[0]; H q[1]; CX q[0], q[1]; H q[0]; ]
+>>> c.H(1)
+[H q[0]; H q[1]; CX q[0], q[1]; H q[0]; H q[1]; ]
+>>> print(pytket_to_qir(c, name="example", qir_format=QIRFormat.STRING))
+; ModuleID = 'example'
+source_filename = "example"
+
+%Qubit = type opaque
+%Result = type opaque
+; ... and so on
+```
+
+This will take some time if tket has not been built on the target machine yet,
+as the necessary downloading and building will take place before the environment
+is ready. Once we get Cachix it will be much faster, as the builds will be available
+from our cache.
+
+## Quirks
+
+At the time of writing, mypy checks for `warn_unused_ignores` are disabled for
+nix-only builds, as they lead to false-positives that fail the flake checks.
+
+These are only disabled for the nix version of this repository. This is done
+in nix-support/pytket-qir.nix, and is accomplished by modifying the mypy.ini file
+at the time of copying it to the Nix store.
+
+## Maintenance
+
+When changes are made, run `nix flake check` to ensure that the nix build works.
+If errors are present, run `nix flake check -L` to see the full logs.
+
+The three nix dependencies for this repository are nixpkgs, flake-utils, and tket.
+
+To update all three, simply run:
+```
+nix flake update
+```
+and commit the updated flake.lock after verifying with `nix flake check`.
+
+Dependencies can also be updated selectively with e.g.
+
+```
+nix flake lock --update-input tket
+```
+
+pyqir is not present on the nix store, so we build it manually in nix-support/pyqir.nix.
+
+If the version needs to be updated, follow this procedure:
+1. Unset the resulting hashes with `pyqir-hash = "";` and `pytket-cargo-hash = "";`
+2. Update pyqir-version to an available tag on the qir-alliance/pyqir github
+3. Run `nix flake check`
+4. The build will fail with a hash mismatch. Use the hash it provides to replace the blank `pyqir-hash`.
+5. Run `nix flake check`
+6. The build will fail with a hash mismatch. Use the hash it provides to replace the blank `pyqir-cargo-hash`.
+7. Run `nix flake check` again. This time it should succeed.
+
+If the build fails for another reason, further investigation is required.
+It is likely down to required change in build steps for pyqir, or could be
+a breaking change in pyqir that needs addressing in pytket-qir.