.TH "alpm-split-package" 7

.SH "NAME"
.PP
split package \- an ALPM based package that is built along other packages from the same package sources\.

.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
Split packages refer to two or more ALPM based packages that are built from the same package sources\.
These types of packages can be created for arbitrary reasons, e\.g\.:
.RS
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
split different types of functionality (e\.g\. one package providing the graphical user interface and another the terminal user interface of a project)
.El
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
split out specific documentation (e\.g\. developer documentation is not useful for all users)
.El
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
various functionalities of a project are optional, are e\.g\. provided as plugins and can be enabled by installing additional split packages
.El
.RE
.PP
Split packages built from the same package sources share some \fBPKGINFO\fP package metadata (i\.e\. \fBpkgbase\fP, \fBpkgver\fP, \fBmakedepends\fP), while other metadata may be set specifically per individual split package\.
.PP
All \fBPKGINFOv2\fP files for split packages define one \fBxdata\fP value of `\f[CR]pkgtype=split\fP`, indicating that the metadata describes a split package\.
.PP
Split packages are handled like any other ALPM based package by a package manager and require their various package relations upon installation\.

.SH "EXAMPLES"
.PP
The following \fBPKGBUILD\fP example defines two split packages, that share `\f[CR]example\-split\fP` as (virtual \- without any actual package of that name) \fBpkgbase\fP:
.RS
.PP
.nf
pkgbase=example\-split
pkgname=(example\-a example\-b)
pkgver=0\.1\.0
pkgrel=1
pkgdesc="A split package example"
arch=(any)
url="https://archlinux\.org"
license=(GPL\-3\.0\-or\-later)
makedepends=(
  meson
)
depends=(
  bash
  gcc\-libs
)

package_example\-a(){
  pkgdesc+=" \- A"
  license+=(LGPL\-2\.1\-or\-later)
  depends+=(bash\-completions)
}

package_example\-b(){
  pkgdesc+=" \- B"
  depends=(zsh)
}
.fi
.RE

.SH "SEE ALSO"
.PP
\fBPKGBUILD\fP(5), \fBPKGINFO\fP(5), \fBSRCINFO\fP(5), \fBalpm\-package\-name\fP(7), \fBalpm\-package\-relation\fP(7)