Introduce `fs.read` to read a file as a string

Following #7890, this patch introduces the ability to read the contents
of a file to the fs module.

This patch introduces the ability to read files at configure time, but
has some restrictions:
    - binary files are not supported (I don't think this will prove a
    problem, and if people are wanting to do something with binary
    files, they should probably be shelling out to their own script).
    - Only files outside the build directory allowed. This limitation
      should prevent build loops.
Given that reading an arbitrary file at configure time can affect the
configuration in almost arbitrary ways, meson should force a reconfigure
when the given file changes. This is non-configurable, but this can
easily be changed with a future keyword argument.

3 files changed, 68 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/docs/markdown/Fs-module.md b/docs/markdown/Fs-module.md
index d4945e9..df9f305 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Fs-module.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Fs-module.md
@@ -199,3 +199,14 @@ suffix
 fs.stem('foo/bar/baz.dll')  # baz
 fs.stem('foo/bar/baz.dll.a')  # baz.dll
 ```
+
+### read
+- `read(path, encoding: 'utf-8')` *(since 0.57.0)*:
+   return a [string](Syntax.md#strings) with the contents of the given `path`.
+   If the `encoding` keyword argument is not specified, the file specified by
+   `path` is assumed to be utf-8 encoded. Binary files are not supported. The
+   provided paths should be relative to the current `meson.current_source_dir()`
+   or an absolute path outside the build directory is accepted. If the file
+   specified by `path` changes, this will trigger Meson to reconfigure the
+   project. If the file specified by `path` is a `files()` object it
+   cannot refer to a built file.
diff --git a/docs/markdown/howtox.md b/docs/markdown/howtox.md
index f05f3e8..8c8c0c0 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/howtox.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/howtox.md
@@ -139,6 +139,23 @@ cdata.set('SOMETHING', txt)
 configure_file(...)
 ```
 
+## Generate configuration data from files
+
+`The [fs module](#Fs-modules) offers the `read` function` which enables adding
+the contents of arbitrary files to configuration data (among other uses):
+
+```meson
+fs = import('fs')
+cdata = configuration_data()
+copyright = fs.read('LICENSE')
+cdata.set('COPYRIGHT', copyright)
+if build_machine.system() == 'linux'
+    os_release = fs.read('/etc/os-release')
+    cdata.set('LINUX_BUILDER', os_release)
+endif
+configure_file(...)
+```
+
 ## Generate a runnable script with `configure_file`
 
 `configure_file` preserves metadata so if your template file has
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/fs_read.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/fs_read.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05c215a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/fs_read.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+## Support for reading files at configuration time with the `fs` module
+
+Reading text files during configuration is now supported. This can be done at
+any time after `project` has been called
+
+```meson
+project(myproject', 'c')
+license_text = run_command(
+    find_program('python3'), '-c', 'print(open("COPYING").read())'
+).stdout().strip()
+about_header = configuration_data()
+about_header.add('COPYRIGHT', license_text)
+about_header.add('ABOUT_STRING', meson.project_name())
+...
+```
+
+There are several problems with the above approach:
+1. It's ugly and confusing
+2. If `COPYING` changes after configuration, Meson won't correctly rebuild when
+   configuration data is based on the data in COPYING
+3. It has extra overhead
+
+`fs.read` replaces the above idiom thus:
+```meson
+project(myproject', 'c')
+fs = import('fs')
+license_text = fs.read('COPYING').strip()
+about_header = configuration_data()
+about_header.add('COPYRIGHT', license_text)
+about_header.add('ABOUT_STRING', meson.project_name())
+...
+```
+
+They are not equivalent, though. Files read with `fs.read` create a
+configuration dependency on the file, and so if the `COPYING` file is modified,
+Meson will automatically reconfigure, guaranteeing the build is consistent. It
+can be used for any properly encoded text files. It supports specification of
+non utf-8 encodings too, so if you're stuck with text files in a different
+encoding, it can be passed as an argument. See the [`meson`
+object](Reference-manual.md#meson-object) documentation for details.