6.2.2. The package synopsis, or short description

Policy says the synopsis line (the short description) must be concise, not repeating the package name, but also informative.

The synopsis functions as a phrase describing the package, not a complete sentence, so sentential punctuation is inappropriate: it does not need extra capital letters or a final period (full stop). It should also omit any initial indefinite or definite article — “a”, “an”, or “the”. Thus for instance:

Package: libeg0
Description: exemplification support library

Technically this is a noun phrase minus articles, as opposed to a verb phrase. A good heuristic is that it should be possible to substitute the package name and synopsis into this formula:

The package name provides {a,an,the,some} synopsis.

Sets of related packages may use an alternative scheme that divides the synopsis into two parts, the first a description of the whole suite and the second a summary of the package’s role within it:

Package: eg-tools
Description: simple exemplification system (utilities)
Package: eg-doc
Description: simple exemplification system - documentation

These synopses follow a modified formula. Where a package “name“ has a synopsis “suite (role)” or “suite - role“, the elements should be phrased so that they fit into the formula:

The package name provides {a,an,the} role for the suite.