Bug#654958: debian-policy: Document VCS fields.

[Ben Pfaff <blp@cs.stanford.edu>]

Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> writes:

> Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> How about this?
>
>> diff --git i/policy.sgml w/policy.sgml
>> index 7d514921..58bde0bb 100644
>> --- i/policy.sgml
>> +++ w/policy.sgml
>> @@ -3766,8 +3766,9 @@ Checksums-Sha256:
>>  		<p>
>>  		  The field name identifies the VCS. The field's value uses the
>>  		  version control system's conventional syntax for describing
>> -		  repository locations and should be sufficient to locate the
>> -		  repository used for packaging. Ideally, it also locates the
>> +		  repository locations and should be sufficient to locate a
>> +		  publicly accessible repository used for packaging.
>> +		  Ideally, it also locates the
>>  		  branch used for development of new versions of the Debian
>>  		  package.
>>  		</p>
>
> Looks good to me.  (Tiny grammar nit: "publicly-accessible", but I can fix
> that when committing.)

Is a hyphen desirable there?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphen#Compound_modifiers says:

    In the 19th century, it was common to hyphenate
    adverb–adjective modifiers with the adverb ending in -ly.
    However, this has become rare.  For example, wholly owned
    subsidiary and quickly moving vehicle are unambiguous,
    because the adverbs clearly modify the adjectives: "quickly"
    cannot modify "vehicle".  However, if an adverb can also
    function as an adjective, then a hyphen may be or should be
    used for clarity, depending on the style guide.[3] For
    example, the phrase more-important reasons ("reasons that are
    more important") is distinguished from more important reasons
    ("additional important reasons"), where more is an adjective.
    Similarly, more-beautiful scenery (with a mass-noun) is
    distinct from more beautiful scenery.  (In contrast, the
    hyphen in "a more-important reason/a more important reason"
    is not necessary.)  The hyphen in little-celebrated paintings
    clarifies that one is not speaking of little paintings.

By that logic, I would think that no hyphen is needed, because
"publicly" cannot modify "repository".

(I am no expert on English.)