Low level <drvPath>^<outputName> installable syntax to match existing <highLevelInstallable>^<outputNames> syntax

src/nix/nix.md

@@ -190,11 +190,9 @@ operate are determined as follows:
   # nix path-info -S '/nix/store/gzaflydcr6sb3567hap9q6srzx8ggdgg-glibc-2.33-78.drv^*'
   …
   ```
-
-* If you didn't specify the desired outputs, but the derivation comes
-  from an expression which has an attribute `meta.outputsToInstall`, Nix
-  will use those outputs. For example, since the package
-  `nixpkgs#libxml2` has this attribute:
+* If you didn't specify the desired outputs, but the derivation hs an
+  attribute `meta.outputsToInstall`, Nix will use those outputs. For
+  example, since the package `nixpkgs#libxml2` has this attribute:
 
   ```console
   # nix eval 'nixpkgs#libxml2.meta.outputsToInstall'
@@ -204,6 +202,9 @@ operate are determined as follows:
   a command like `nix shell nixpkgs#libxml2` will provide only those
   two outputs by default.
 
+  Note that a store derivation (given by `.drv` file store path) doesn't have
+  any attributes like `meta`, and thus this case doesn't apply to it.
+
 * Otherwise, Nix will use all outputs of the derivation.
 
 # Nix stores

tests/build.sh

@@ -58,6 +58,48 @@ nix build -f multiple-outputs.nix --json 'e^*' --no-link | jq --exit-status '
     (.outputs | keys == ["a", "b", "c"]))
 '
 
+# Test building from raw store path to drv not expression.
+
+drv=$(nix eval -f multiple-outputs.nix --raw a.drvPath)
+if nix build "$drv^not-an-output" --no-link --json; then
+    fail "'not-an-output' should fail to build"
+fi
+
+if nix build "$drv^" --no-link --json; then
+    fail "'empty outputs list' should fail to build"
+fi
+
+if nix build "$drv^*nope" --no-link --json; then
+    fail "'* must be entire string' should fail to build"
+fi
+
+nix build "$drv^first" --no-link --json | jq --exit-status '
+  (.[0] |
+    (.drvPath | match(".*multiple-outputs-a.drv")) and
+    (.outputs |
+      (keys | length == 1) and
+      (.first | match(".*multiple-outputs-a-first")) and
+      (has("second") | not)))
+'
+
+nix build "$drv^first,second" --no-link --json | jq --exit-status '
+  (.[0] |
+    (.drvPath | match(".*multiple-outputs-a.drv")) and
+    (.outputs |
+      (keys | length == 2) and
+      (.first | match(".*multiple-outputs-a-first")) and
+	  (.second | match(".*multiple-outputs-a-second"))))
+'
+
+nix build "$drv^*" --no-link --json | jq --exit-status '
+  (.[0] |
+    (.drvPath | match(".*multiple-outputs-a.drv")) and
+    (.outputs |
+      (keys | length == 2) and
+      (.first | match(".*multiple-outputs-a-first")) and
+	  (.second | match(".*multiple-outputs-a-second"))))
+'
+
 # Make sure that `--impure` works (regression test for https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/6488)
 nix build --impure -f multiple-outputs.nix --json e --no-link | jq --exit-status '
   (.[0] |

tests/local.mk

@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ nix_tests = \
   ssh-relay.sh \
   plugins.sh \
   build.sh \
-  build-explicit-output.sh \
   ca/nix-run.sh \
   selfref-gc.sh ca/selfref-gc.sh \
   db-migration.sh \