docs/manual: add check-package to "Tips and tricks"

[coffee/buildroot.git] / docs / manual / adding-packages-tips.txt

diff --git a/docs/manual/adding-packages-tips.txt b/docs/manual/adding-packages-tips.txt
index f37f9874e7c2f628987b38f3553aa58f3c8aaca8..d10f276e83bd12c942dfe70bfa5fa65cc8ff3931 100644 (file)
--- a/docs/manual/adding-packages-tips.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/adding-packages-tips.txt
@@ -32,6 +32,38 @@ using the following rules:
   with `.` and `-` characters substituted with `_` (e.g.:
   +FOO_BAR_BOO_VERSION+).
 
+[[check-package]]
+==== How to check the coding style
+
+Buildroot provides a script in +utils/check-package+ that checks new or
+changed files for coding style. It is not a complete language validator,
+but it catches many common mistakes. It is meant to run in the actual
+files you created or modified, before creating the patch for submission.
+
+This script can be used for packages, filesystem makefiles, Config.in
+files, etc. It does not check the files defining the package
+infrastructures and some other files containing similar common code.
+
+To use it, run the +check-package+ script, by telling which files you
+created or changed:
+
+----
+$ ./utils/check-package package/new-package/*
+----
+
+If you have the +utils+ directory in your path you can also run:
+
+----
+$ cd package/new-package/
+$ check-package *
+----
+
+The tool can also be used for packages in a br2-external:
+
+----
+$ check-package -b /path/to/br2-ext-tree/package/my-package/*
+----
+
 [[testing-package]]
 ==== How to test your package