docs/reference/manifest.rst: Add docs for manifest.py files.

2 files changed, 146 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/docs/reference/index.rst b/docs/reference/index.rst
index 853bbe7e36..8ac92c22eb 100644
--- a/docs/reference/index.rst
+++ b/docs/reference/index.rst
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ implementation and the best practices to use them.
    isr_rules.rst
    speed_python.rst
    constrained.rst
+   manifest.rst
    packages.rst
    asm_thumb2_index.rst
    filesystem.rst
diff --git a/docs/reference/manifest.rst b/docs/reference/manifest.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..078c4c7cf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/reference/manifest.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+MicroPython manifest files
+==========================
+
+When building firmware for a device the following components are included in
+the compilation process:
+
+- the core MicroPython virtual machine and runtime
+- port-specific system code and drivers to interface with the
+  microcontroller/device that the firmware is targeting
+- standard built-in modules, like ``sys``
+- extended built-in modules, like ``json`` and ``machine``
+- extra modules written in C/C++
+- extra modules written in Python
+
+All the modules included in the firmware are available via ``import`` from
+Python code.  The extra modules written in Python that are included in a build
+(the last point above) are called *frozen modules*, and are specified by a
+``manifest.py`` file.  Changing this manifest requires rebuilding the firmware.
+
+It's also possible to add additional modules to the filesystem of the device
+once it is up and running.  Adding and removing modules to/from the filesystem
+does not require rebuilding the firmware so is a simpler process than rebuilding
+firmware.  The benefit of using a manifest is that frozen modules are more
+efficient: they are faster to import and take up less RAM once imported.
+
+MicroPython manifest files are Python files and can contain arbitrary Python
+code.  There are also a set of commands (predefined functions) which are used
+to specify the Python source files to include.  These commands are described
+below.
+
+Freezing source code
+--------------------
+
+.. function:: freeze(path, script=None, opt=0)
+
+    Freeze the input specified by *path*, automatically determining its type.  A
+    ``.py`` script will be compiled to a ``.mpy`` first then frozen, and a
+    ``.mpy`` file will be frozen directly.
+
+    *path* must be a directory, which is the base directory to begin searching
+    for files.  When importing the resulting frozen modules, the name of the
+    module will start after *path*, i.e. *path* is excluded from the module
+    name.
+
+    If *path* is relative, it is resolved to the current ``manifest.py``.  Use
+    ``$(MPY_DIR)``, ``$(MPY_LIB_DIR)``, ``$(PORT_DIR)``, ``$(BOARD_DIR)`` if you
+    need to access specific paths.
+
+    If *script* is None, all files in *path* will be frozen.
+
+    If *script* is an iterable then ``freeze()`` is called on all items of the
+    iterable (with the same *path* and *opt* passed through).
+
+    If *script* is a string then it specifies the file or directory to freeze,
+    and can include extra directories before the file or last directory.  The
+    file or directory will be searched for in *path*.  If *script* is a
+    directory then all files in that directory will be frozen.
+
+    *opt* is the optimisation level to pass to mpy-cross when compiling ``.py``
+    to ``.mpy``.
+
+.. function:: freeze_as_str(path)
+
+    Freeze the given *path* and all ``.py`` scripts within it as a string, which
+    will be compiled upon import.
+
+.. function:: freeze_as_mpy(path, script=None, opt=0)
+
+    Freeze the input by first compiling the ``.py`` scripts to ``.mpy`` files,
+    then freezing the resulting ``.mpy`` files.  See ``freeze()`` for further
+    details on the arguments.
+
+.. function::   freeze_mpy(path, script=None, opt=0)
+
+    Freeze the input, which must be ``.mpy`` files that are frozen directly.
+    See ``freeze()`` for further details on the arguments.
+
+
+Including other manifest files
+------------------------------
+
+.. function:: include(manifest, **kwargs)
+
+    Include another manifest.
+
+    The *manifest* argument can be a string (filename) or an iterable of
+    strings.
+
+    Relative paths are resolved with respect to the current manifest file.
+
+    Optional *kwargs* can be provided which will be available to the included
+    script via the *options* variable.
+
+    For example:
+
+    .. code-block:: python3
+
+        include("path.py", extra_features=True)
+
+    then in path.py:
+
+    .. code-block:: python3
+
+            options.defaults(standard_features=True)
+            # freeze minimal modules.
+            if options.standard_features:
+                # freeze standard modules.
+            if options.extra_features:
+                # freeze extra modules.
+
+
+Examples
+--------
+
+To freeze a single file which is available as ``import mydriver``, use:
+
+.. code-block:: python3
+
+    freeze(".", "mydriver.py")
+
+To freeze a set of files which are available as ``import test1`` and
+``import test2``, and which are compiled with optimisation level 3, use:
+
+.. code-block:: python3
+
+    freeze("/path/to/tests", ("test1.py", "test2.py"), opt=3)
+
+To freeze a module which can be imported as ``import mymodule``, use:
+
+.. code-block:: python3
+
+    freeze(
+        "../relative/path",
+        (
+            "mymodule/__init__.py",
+            "mymodule/core.py",
+            "mymodule/extra.py",
+        ),
+    )
+
+To include a manifest from the MicroPython repository, use:
+
+.. code-block:: python3
+
+    include("$(MPY_DIR)/extmod/uasyncio/manifest.py")