Consider a WORKSPACE `alias` rule

Something like:

WORKSPACE:

http_archive(
    name = "com_google_protobuf",
    ...
)

alias(
    name = "com_google_protobuf_cc",
    actual = "com_google_protobuf",
)

Depending on com_google_protobuf_cc would be equivalent to com_google_protobuf.

The use-case is highlighted in https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/bazel-discuss/859ybHQZnuI

[jayconrod]

Without aliases, what is the the best practice for renaming a workspace? I would expect aliases to be the main tool for this, and I don’t see how renaming would work without them.

Suppose I have a project that uses @io_bazel_rules_go, but at some point, that repository changes its name to @build_bazel_rules_go. I may have some dependencies that refer to it using the new name and some using the old name.

[TheButlah]

This looks like an important and relevant feature - why is this issue still closed?