devtool: improve command-line help

Based on feedback from Scott Rifenbark <scott.m.rifenbark@intel.com>

(From OE-Core rev: ec3378f3a7013e289daa0f5c52329488b861f99c)

Signed-off-by: Paul Eggleton <paul.eggleton@linux.intel.com>
Signed-off-by: Ross Burton <ross.burton@intel.com>
Signed-off-by: Richard Purdie <richard.purdie@linuxfoundation.org>

2 files changed, 20 insertions, 11 deletions

diff --git a/scripts/devtool b/scripts/devtool
index d6e1b9710d..981ff515d3 100755
--- a/scripts/devtool
+++ b/scripts/devtool
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ def read_workspace():
                     break
 
 def create_workspace(args, config, basepath, workspace):
-    if args.directory:
-        workspacedir = os.path.abspath(args.directory)
+    if args.layerpath:
+        workspacedir = os.path.abspath(args.layerpath)
     else:
         workspacedir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(basepath, 'workspace'))
     _create_workspace(workspacedir, config, basepath, args.create_only)
@@ -177,18 +177,20 @@ def main():
         pth = os.path.dirname(pth)
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="OpenEmbedded development tool",
-                                     epilog="Use %(prog)s <command> --help to get help on a specific command")
+                                     epilog="Use %(prog)s <subcommand> --help to get help on a specific command")
     parser.add_argument('--basepath', help='Base directory of SDK / build directory')
     parser.add_argument('-d', '--debug', help='Enable debug output', action='store_true')
     parser.add_argument('-q', '--quiet', help='Print only errors', action='store_true')
-    parser.add_argument('--color', help='Colorize output', choices=['auto', 'always', 'never'], default='auto')
+    parser.add_argument('--color', choices=['auto', 'always', 'never'], default='auto', help='Colorize output (where %(metavar)s is %(choices)s)', metavar='COLOR')
 
-    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="subparser_name")
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="subparser_name", title='subcommands', metavar='<subcommand>')
 
     if not context.fixed_setup:
-        parser_create_workspace = subparsers.add_parser('create-workspace', help='Set up a workspace')
-        parser_create_workspace.add_argument('directory', nargs='?', help='Directory for the workspace')
-        parser_create_workspace.add_argument('--create-only', action="store_true", help='Only create the workspace, do not alter configuration')
+        parser_create_workspace = subparsers.add_parser('create-workspace',
+                                                        help='Set up a workspace',
+                                                        description='Sets up a new workspace. NOTE: other devtool subcommands will create a workspace automatically as needed, so you only need to use %(prog)s if you want to specify where the workspace should be located.')
+        parser_create_workspace.add_argument('layerpath', nargs='?', help='Path in which the workspace layer should be created')
+        parser_create_workspace.add_argument('--create-only', action="store_true", help='Only create the workspace layer, do not alter configuration')
         parser_create_workspace.set_defaults(func=create_workspace)
 
     scriptutils.load_plugins(logger, plugins, os.path.join(scripts_path, 'lib', 'devtool'))
diff --git a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
index 69bb228487..ae64840062 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
@@ -499,6 +499,7 @@ def build(args, config, basepath, workspace):
 
 def register_commands(subparsers, context):
     parser_add = subparsers.add_parser('add', help='Add a new recipe',
+                                       description='Adds a new recipe',
                                        formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_add.add_argument('recipename', help='Name for new recipe to add')
     parser_add.add_argument('srctree', help='Path to external source tree')
@@ -506,15 +507,17 @@ def register_commands(subparsers, context):
     parser_add.set_defaults(func=add)
 
     parser_add = subparsers.add_parser('modify', help='Modify the source for an existing recipe',
+                                       description='Enables modifying the source for an existing recipe',
                                        formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_add.add_argument('recipename', help='Name for recipe to edit')
     parser_add.add_argument('srctree', help='Path to external source tree')
     parser_add.add_argument('--wildcard', '-w', action="store_true", help='Use wildcard for unversioned bbappend')
     parser_add.add_argument('--extract', '-x', action="store_true", help='Extract source as well')
-    parser_add.add_argument('--branch', '-b', default="devtool", help='Name for development branch to checkout')
+    parser_add.add_argument('--branch', '-b', default="devtool", help='Name for development branch to checkout (only when using -x)')
     parser_add.set_defaults(func=modify)
 
     parser_add = subparsers.add_parser('extract', help='Extract the source for an existing recipe',
+                                       description='Extracts the source for an existing recipe',
                                        formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_add.add_argument('recipename', help='Name for recipe to extract the source for')
     parser_add.add_argument('srctree', help='Path to where to extract the source tree')
@@ -523,22 +526,26 @@ def register_commands(subparsers, context):
     parser_add.set_defaults(func=extract)
 
     parser_add = subparsers.add_parser('update-recipe', help='Apply changes from external source tree to recipe',
+                                       description='Applies changes from external source tree to a recipe (updating/adding/removing patches as necessary)',
                                        formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_add.add_argument('recipename', help='Name of recipe to update')
     parser_add.add_argument('--initial-rev', help='Starting revision for patches')
     parser_add.add_argument('--no-remove', '-n', action="store_true", help='Don\'t remove patches, only add or update')
     parser_add.set_defaults(func=update_recipe)
 
-    parser_status = subparsers.add_parser('status', help='Show status',
+    parser_status = subparsers.add_parser('status', help='Show workspace status',
+                                          description='Lists recipes currently in your workspace and the paths to their respective external source trees',
                                           formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_status.set_defaults(func=status)
 
-    parser_build = subparsers.add_parser('build', help='Build recipe',
+    parser_build = subparsers.add_parser('build', help='Build a recipe',
+                                         description='Builds the specified recipe using bitbake (up to do_install)',
                                          formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_build.add_argument('recipename', help='Recipe to build')
     parser_build.set_defaults(func=build)
 
     parser_reset = subparsers.add_parser('reset', help='Remove a recipe from your workspace',
+                                         description='Removes the specified recipe from your workspace (resetting its state)',
                                          formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
     parser_reset.add_argument('recipename', help='Recipe to reset')
     parser_reset.set_defaults(func=reset)