[Distutils] [zc.buildout] "Adding and removing options" section unclear

[Jim Fulton]

On Jul 15, 2008, at 3:09 PM, Chris Withers wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> This section of the docs at http://pypi.python.org/pypi/zc.buildout/1.0.6 
>  doesn't seem to make much sense.

You are referring to: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/zc.buildout/1.0.6#adding-and-removing-options


> extension1.cfg and extension2.cfg are set up but no examples use  
> them as far as I can see.

The last example extends extensions2.cfg, which extends extensions1.cfg.

> The demo also uses extending of configurations as well as buildout  
> extensions before these have been introduced as concepts.

Yup. That's annoying. This section should be moved until after  
extending has been described and should use an extension.  Probably  
just invoking the buildout with -vv should be enough.  I'm hoping the  
person who wrote this section is paying attention so I don't have to  
fix this myself. :)

>
>
> I'm *guessing* that:
>
> >>> write(sample_buildout, 'base.cfg',
> ... """
> ... [buildout]
> ... parts = part2
> ...
> ... [part2]
> ... recipe =
> ... option = b1 b2 b3 b4
> ... """)
>
> >>> write(sample_buildout, 'extension1.cfg',
> ... """
> ... [buildout]
> ... extends = base.cfg
> ...
> ... [part2]
> ... option -= b1 b2
> ... """)
>
> ..will result in 'option' being 'b3 b4'

Right.

> when extension1.cfg is used, but there's no explanation of how this  
> works. Are option values always split on spaces

Yes

> or is there another set of rules for this?

No.

> Where is this documented?

That section tries to explain it.  The parsing rule should have been  
stated.  The example should be made simpler. The extension business  
complicates it excessively.

Jim

--
Jim Fulton
Zope Corporation