installed packages long description.

[Stephen Leake]

When browsing the *Packages* buffer produced by 'list-packages', the ?
key gives a package description. That includes a "long description",
which for multi-file packages is taken from a README file. For
single-file packages it is taken from a Commentary comment header.

However, if that description was not viewed before a package was
installed, it is not displayed in the description.

The problem is the way describe-package retrieves the long description.
If the package is not installed, the package-desc struct archive field
has a value, and describe-package requests (format "%s-readme.txt" name)
from the archive server. Apparently the webserver on the archive
responds with the contents of <pkg>/README or the Commentary comment
header. describe-package then saves that in
~/.emacs.d/elpa/<pkg>-readme.txt.

However, if the package is installed, the package-desc struct
archive field does not have a value. Then describe-package looks for
~/.emacs.d/elpa/<pkg>-readme.txt, which does not exist if the
description was never viewed before installation.

I see two solutions; describe-package can also look for README or the
Commentary comment header, or package-install can always populate
~/.emacs.d/elpa/<pkg>-readme.txt

preferences?

-- 
-- Stephe