environment: Support taking values from dict

Related to #5955.

3 files changed, 30 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/docs/markdown/External-commands.md b/docs/markdown/External-commands.md
index 4c8c8e4..cafd280 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/External-commands.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/External-commands.md
@@ -16,7 +16,14 @@ output = r.stdout().strip()
 errortxt = r.stderr().strip()
 ```
 
-Additionally, since 0.50.0, you can pass the command [`environment`](Reference-manual.html#environment-object) object:
+Since 0.52.0, you can pass the command environment as a dictionary:
+
+```meson
+run_command('command', 'arg1', 'arg2', env: {'FOO': 'bar'})
+```
+
+Since 0.50.0, you can also pass the command
+[`environment`](Reference-manual.html#environment-object) object:
 
 ```meson
 env = environment()
diff --git a/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md b/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
index f296e43..6009d30 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Reference-manual.md
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@ Add a custom test setup that can be used to run the tests with a
 custom setup, for example under Valgrind. The keyword arguments are
 the following:
 
-- `env` an [environment object](#environment-object) to use a custom environment
+- `env` environment variables to set, such as `['NAME1=value1',
+  'NAME2=value2']`, or an [`environment()`
+  object](#environment-object) which allows more sophisticated
+  environment juggling. *Since 0.52.0* a dictionary is also accepted.
 - `exe_wrapper` a list containing the wrapper command or script followed by the arguments to it
 - `gdb` if `true`, the tests are also run under `gdb`
 - `timeout_multiplier` a number to multiply the test timeout with
@@ -491,12 +494,16 @@ Print the argument string and halts the build process.
 ### environment()
 
 ``` meson
-    environment_object environment()
+    environment_object environment(...)
 ```
 
 Returns an empty [environment variable
 object](#environment-object). Added in 0.35.0.
 
+Since *0.52.0* takes an optional dictionary as first argument. If
+provided, each key/value pair is added into the `environment_object`
+as if `set()` method was called for each of them.
+
 ### executable()
 
 ``` meson
@@ -1256,7 +1263,10 @@ This function supports the following keyword arguments:
    be checked, and the configuration will fail if it is non-zero. The default is
    `false`.
    Since 0.47.0
- - `env` an [environment object](#environment-object) to use a custom environment
+ - `env` environment variables to set, such as `['NAME1=value1',
+   'NAME2=value2']`, or an [`environment()`
+   object](#environment-object) which allows more sophisticated
+   environment juggling. *Since 0.52.0* a dictionary is also accepted.
    Since 0.50.0
 
 See also [External commands](External-commands.md).
@@ -1489,7 +1499,7 @@ Keyword arguments are the following:
 - `env` environment variables to set, such as `['NAME1=value1',
   'NAME2=value2']`, or an [`environment()`
   object](#environment-object) which allows more sophisticated
-  environment juggling
+  environment juggling. *Since 0.52.0* a dictionary is also accepted.
 
 - `is_parallel` when false, specifies that no other test must be
   running at the same time as this test
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/env_dict.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/env_dict.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5949806
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/env_dict.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+## Support taking environment values from a dictionary
+
+`environment()` now accepts a dictionary as first argument.  If
+provided, each key/value pair is added into the `environment_object`
+as if `set()` method was called for each of them.
+
+On the various functions that take an `env:` keyword argument, you may
+now give a dictionary.