Re: How to install documentation in sub-directory with Package VC?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2023 01:50:04 +0000
> From: Okamsn <okamsn@protonmail.com>
> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org
> 
> I have tried to write a patch doing this (attached).

Thanks.

> +There are two ways for Emacs to learn how and whence to install a
> +package from source.  The first way, when supported, is to
> +automatically download the needed information from a package archive
> +(@pxref{Package Archives,,,elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).
> +This is what is done when only specifying the symbol of a package.
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Passive voice alert!  Could you perhaps rephrase this avoiding the
passive voice?

> +The second way is to specify this information manually in the first
> +argument of @code{package-vc-install}, in the form of
> +@samp{(@var{name} . @var{spec})}.  @var{spec} should be a property

This should be @code, not @samp.

> +list using any of the following keys:
> +
> +@itemize @bullet

This should be "@table @code", not @itemize.  The result is more
readable.  @itemize is for free text, not for systematic description
of several optional features and attributes.

> +@item @code{:branch}
> +The name of the branch to checkout after cloning the directory.
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    ^^^^^^^^       ^^^^^^^
Can we make this less Git-specific?

> +@item @code{:lisp-dir}
> +The repository-relative name of the directory to use for loading the
> +Lisp sources, if not the root directory of the repository.

The "if not" part is confusing.  I suggest ", which defaults to the
root directory of the repository" instead.

> +@item @code{:main-file}
> +The main file of the project, from which to gather package metadata.
> +If not given, the assumed default is the package name with ".el"
> +appended to it.

I'd drop the "assumed" part.  It adds nothing to the description.

> +@item @code{:doc}
> +The repository-relative name of the documentation file from which to
> +build an Info file. This can be a TexInfo file or an Org file.
                     ^^
Two spaces there, please.  Also, the spelling is "Texinfo", not
"TexInfo".

> +@item @code{:vc-backend}
> +The VC backend to use for cloning the package.  If omitted,

A cross-reference here to the place where VC backends are described
would be good.

> +the process will fall back onto the archive default or onto
> +the value of @code{package-vc-default-backend}.

What does it mean to "fall back onto the archive default"?

> +   `:doc' (string)
> +      The documentation file from which to build an Info file.
> +      This can be a TexInfo file or an Org file.
                       ^^^^^^^
Spelling again.