Add more descriptive description to CustomTarget

Allow modules using CustomTarget to modify the command description used by ninja backend. This result in more precise logs when building a project.

10 files changed, 30 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/custom_target_description.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/custom_target_description.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd8820e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/custom_target_description.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+## More meaningful description of many generative tasks
+
+When a module uses a `CustomTarget` to process files, it now has the possibility
+to customize the message displayed by ninja.
+
+Many modules were updated to take advantage of this new feature.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 72c8265..1d563a2 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ class NinjaBackend(backends.Backend):
                 deps.append(os.path.join(self.get_target_dir(i), output))
         return deps
 
-    def generate_custom_target(self, target):
+    def generate_custom_target(self, target: build.CustomTarget):
         self.custom_target_generator_inputs(target)
         (srcs, ofilenames, cmd) = self.eval_custom_target_command(target)
         deps = self.unwrap_dep_list(target)
@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ class NinjaBackend(backends.Backend):
             elem.add_item('pool', 'console')
         full_name = Path(target.subdir, target.name).as_posix()
         elem.add_item('COMMAND', cmd)
-        elem.add_item('description', f'Generating {full_name} with a custom command{cmd_type}')
+        elem.add_item('description', target.description.format(full_name) + cmd_type)
         self.add_build(elem)
         self.processed_targets.add(target.get_id())
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index 5b9d152..1463e51 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -2535,6 +2535,7 @@ class CustomTarget(Target, CommandBase):
                  install_tag: T.Optional[T.List[T.Optional[str]]] = None,
                  absolute_paths: bool = False,
                  backend: T.Optional['Backend'] = None,
+                 description: str = 'Generating {} with a custom command',
                  ):
         # TODO expose keyword arg to make MachineChoice.HOST configurable
         super().__init__(name, subdir, subproject, False, MachineChoice.HOST, environment,
@@ -2559,6 +2560,7 @@ class CustomTarget(Target, CommandBase):
         self.install_mode = install_mode
         self.install_tag = _process_install_tag(install_tag, len(self.outputs))
         self.name = name if name else self.outputs[0]
+        self.description = description
 
         # Whether to use absolute paths for all files on the commandline
         self.absolute_paths = absolute_paths
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py b/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py
index f7a72bc..e7b7c43 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/external_project.py
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ class ExternalProject(NewExtensionModule):
             depfile=f'{self.name}.d',
             console=True,
             extra_depends=extra_depends,
+            description='Generating external project {}',
         )
 
         idir = build.InstallDir(self.subdir.as_posix(),
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/fs.py b/mesonbuild/modules/fs.py
index 53174d2..c145486 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/fs.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/fs.py
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ class FSModule(ExtensionModule):
             install_mode=kwargs['install_mode'],
             install_tag=[kwargs['install_tag']],
             backend=state.backend,
+            description='Copying file {}',
         )
 
         return ModuleReturnValue(ct, [ct])
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/gnome.py b/mesonbuild/modules/gnome.py
index 18862e7..6bd0436 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/gnome.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/gnome.py
@@ -1242,6 +1242,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             ['gschemas.compiled'],
             build_by_default=kwargs['build_by_default'],
             depend_files=kwargs['depend_files'],
+            description='Compiling gschemas {}',
         )
         self._devenv_prepend('GSETTINGS_SCHEMA_DIR', os.path.join(state.environment.get_build_dir(), state.subdir))
         return ModuleReturnValue(target_g, [target_g])
@@ -1355,6 +1356,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
                 [po_file],
                 [gmo_file],
                 install_tag=['doc'],
+                description='Generating yelp doc {}',
             )
             targets.append(gmotarget)
 
@@ -1370,6 +1372,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
                 install=True,
                 install_dir=[l_install_dir],
                 install_tag=['doc'],
+                description='Generating yelp doc {}',
             )
             targets.append(mergetarget)
 
@@ -1513,6 +1516,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             [f'{modulename}-decl.txt'],
             build_always_stale=True,
             extra_depends=new_depends,
+            description='Generating gtkdoc {}',
         )
         alias_target = build.AliasTarget(targetname, [custom_target], state.subdir, state.subproject, state.environment)
         if kwargs['check']:
@@ -1656,6 +1660,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             xml_files,
             [output],
             build_by_default=build_by_default,
+            description='Generating gdbus source {}',
         )
         targets.append(cfile_custom_target)
 
@@ -1680,6 +1685,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             install=install_header,
             install_dir=[install_dir],
             install_tag=['devel'],
+            description='Generating gdbus header {}',
         )
         targets.append(hfile_custom_target)
 
@@ -1708,6 +1714,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
                 outputs,
                 build_by_default=build_by_default,
                 extra_depends=depends,
+                description='Generating gdbus docbook {}',
             )
             targets.append(docbook_custom_target)
 
@@ -1930,6 +1937,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             extra_depends=depends,
             # https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/973
             absolute_paths=True,
+            description='Generating GObject enum file {}',
         )
 
     @typed_pos_args('gnome.genmarshal', str)
@@ -1996,6 +2004,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             install_tag=['devel'],
             capture=capture,
             depend_files=kwargs['depend_files'],
+            description='Generating glib marshaller header {}',
         )
 
         c_cmd = cmd + ['--body', '@INPUT@']
@@ -2015,6 +2024,7 @@ class GnomeModule(ExtensionModule):
             capture=capture,
             depend_files=kwargs['depend_files'],
             extra_depends=extra_deps,
+            description='Generating glib marshaller source {}',
         )
 
         rv = [body, header]
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/i18n.py b/mesonbuild/modules/i18n.py
index 11dd9ef..c82e580 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/i18n.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/i18n.py
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ class I18nModule(ExtensionModule):
             install=kwargs['install'],
             install_dir=[kwargs['install_dir']] if kwargs['install_dir'] is not None else None,
             install_tag=install_tag,
+            description='Merging translations for {}',
         )
 
         return ModuleReturnValue(ct, [ct])
@@ -304,6 +305,7 @@ class I18nModule(ExtensionModule):
                 # Bonus: the build tree has something usable as an uninstalled bindtextdomain() target dir.
                 install_dir=[path.join(install_dir, l, 'LC_MESSAGES')],
                 install_tag=['i18n'],
+                description='Building translation {}',
             )
             targets.append(gmotarget)
             gmotargets.append(gmotarget)
@@ -390,6 +392,7 @@ class I18nModule(ExtensionModule):
             install=kwargs['install'],
             install_dir=[kwargs['install_dir']] if kwargs['install_dir'] is not None else None,
             install_tag=install_tag,
+            description='Merging translations for {}',
         )
 
         return ModuleReturnValue(ct, [ct])
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/qt.py b/mesonbuild/modules/qt.py
index 8555888..20ff111 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/qt.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/qt.py
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ class QtBaseModule(ExtensionModule):
                 [f'{name}.cpp'],
                 depend_files=qrc_deps,
                 depfile=f'{name}.d',
+                description='Compiling Qt resources {}',
             )
             targets.append(res_target)
         else:
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ class QtBaseModule(ExtensionModule):
                     [f'{name}.cpp'],
                     depend_files=qrc_deps,
                     depfile=f'{name}.d',
+                    description='Compiling Qt resources {}',
                 )
                 targets.append(res_target)
 
@@ -600,6 +602,7 @@ class QtBaseModule(ExtensionModule):
                 install_dir=[kwargs['install_dir']],
                 install_tag=['i18n'],
                 build_by_default=kwargs['build_by_default'],
+                description='Compiling Qt translations {}',
             )
             translations.append(lrelease_target)
         if qresource:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/rust.py b/mesonbuild/modules/rust.py
index 4f5494a..0bda2c2 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/rust.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/rust.py
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ class RustModule(ExtensionModule):
             extra_depends=depends,
             depend_files=depend_files,
             backend=state.backend,
+            description='Generating bindings for Rust {}',
         )
 
         return ModuleReturnValue([target], [target])
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py b/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py
index f9c7c57..b7cdeb3 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/windows.py
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ class WindowsModule(ExtensionModule):
                 depfile=depfile,
                 depend_files=wrc_depend_files,
                 extra_depends=wrc_depends,
+                description='Compiling Windows resource {}',
             ))
 
         return ModuleReturnValue(res_targets, [res_targets])