`Hooks` isn't well documented

[geekosaur]

What is wrong with the docs?
It appears that pretty much the only documentation for the Hooks build type is https://well-typed.com/blog/2025/01/cabal-hooks/. We should have at least a proper introduction and maybe a pointer to that blog entry.

[sheaf]

Most of the documentation is the Haddocks, but I suppose that's more about the API for people wanting to write their own SetupHooks module. What other kind of information were you thinking of, and where should it be?

[geekosaur]

I wasn't, this arose from a complaint on Matrix:

andromeda
I cannot for the life of me figure out haskell hooks. All I want to do is runa single (1) command before commencing with the build. All of the documentation I've found is waay too complex and I don't understand what's happening (and frankly don't need to; I need to run one (1) command before the build). How do I tell Cabal to run a single (1) command before starting the build?

Morj
You need something called a setup.hs script. Cabal docs are trash here as usual (I'm sorry), but you can find a tutorial here: https://well-typed.com/blog/2025/01/cabal-hooks/

(And emphasizing the documentation issue, aren't the actual hooks in a different .hs file?)