Re: Problem with package description

[Justin B Rye <jbr@edlug.org.uk>]

(You've reported this against libbliss0d, which barely exists if at
all, but it applies equally to libbliss1d, bliss, and libbliss-dev,
which share the same introductory text.)

Martin Eberhard Schauer wrote:
> Description: library to compute graph automorphisms and labelings
>  Bliss is a backtracking algorithm based on individualization and
>  refinement for labeling a graph.  Data structures, subroutines, and
     ^
Hang on, an FI ligature?  That seems unwise.  For a start it won't
match a search for the string "refinement".

>  pruning heuristics especially for fast handling of large and sparse
>  graphs are provided. This package provides the shared library; a C++
>  and C API is also available.
> 
> I think the first sentence would be closer to the short description in this
> form:
> 
>  Bliss is a backtracking algorithm for labeling a graph, based on
>  individualization and refinement.

Well, the existing version's entirely grammatical, but rearranging it
does make it slightly clearer.  I would also suggest avoiding the
useless use of passive in the second sentence.

Then the last sentence is a bit confusing, and should probably be a
separate paragraph exclusively about libbliss1d (the other packages
can do their own advertising).

I would suggest for libbliss1d:

 Description: library to compute graph automorphisms and labelings
  Bliss is a backtracking algorithm for labeling a graph, based on
  individualization and refinement. It provides data structures,
  subroutines, and pruning heuristics especially for fast handling of
  large and sparse graphs.
  .
  This package provides the shared library.

For bliss:

 Description: tool to compute graph automorphisms and labelings 
  [...]
  This package provides the command line tool bliss.

For libbliss-dev:

 Description: development files to compute graph automorphisms and labelings
  [...]
  This package provides the C/C++ development API.

Or maybe, being more ambitious about importing material from the
upstream homepage even though to be honest I have very little idea
what it all means:

 Description: graph automorphism and labeling algorithm - shared library
  Bliss is a backtracking algorithm for computing automorphism groups
  and canonical forms of graphs, based on individualization and refinement.
  Its data structures, subroutines, and pruning heuristics are specially
  designed for fast handling of large and sparse graphs.
  .
  This package provides the shared library.

 Description: graph automorphism and labeling algorithm - command line tool
  [...]
  This package provides the command line tool bliss.

 Description: graph automorphism and labeling algorithm - development files
  [...]
  This package provides the C/C++ development API.

-- 
JBR	with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian
	sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package