Re: package.el: soft dependencies?

[Yuri D'Elia <wavexx@thregr.org>]

On 14/07/15 23:28, Rasmus wrote:
> Yuri D'Elia <wavexx@thregr.org> writes:
> 
>> This could be accomplished with a Package-Suggests header, with exactly
>> the same format as Package-Requires. package.el would just need to
>> present this information in the package description page, for the user
>> to inspect.
> 
> But for optional dependencies you'd want to know what you get when
> installing more stuff, also within the package manager.  So there should
> also be a one line summary of what the dependency adds (this is how pacman
> works; I don't remember how verbose apt is).

apt has no detail as of why a package is suggested, and it works well
enough for me. Presenting the list briefly, as done for the requirements
would do.

Normally, when a package is suggested, I explicitly look for it in the
docs/description. Just knowing it's suggested does the job.

Most of the time the package name makes it immediately obvious though,
so it's rather straighforward.