vala: Add method to get generated GIR from a build_target

Fixes: #2296
Fixes: #4481
Fixes: #5968

2 files changed, 33 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/docs/markdown/Vala.md b/docs/markdown/Vala.md
index af9426352..ff7a7c736 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Vala.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Vala.md
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ foo_h = foo_lib.vala_header()
 This header can now be used like any other generated header to create an
 order-only dependency.
 
+
 ### Depending on VAPI header
 
 *(since 1.10.0)*
@@ -329,6 +330,15 @@ foo_lib = shared_library(...)
 foo_vapi = foo_lib.vala_vapi()
 ```
 
+### Depending on generated GIR
+
+*(since 1.10.0)*
+
+```meson
+foo_lib = shared_library(..., vala_gir : 'foo.gir')
+foo_gir = foo_lib.vala_gir()
+```
+
 ### GObject Introspection and language bindings
 
 A 'binding' allows another programming language to use a library
@@ -363,6 +373,21 @@ directory (i.e. `share/gir-1.0` for GIRs). The fourth element in the
 To then generate a typelib file use a custom target with the
 `g-ir-compiler` program and a dependency on the library:
 
+*Since Meson 1.10*, use the `.vala_gir()` method to get a handle to the generated `.gir` file:
+
+```meson
+g_ir_compiler = find_program('g-ir-compiler')
+custom_target('foo typelib', command: [g_ir_compiler, '--output', '@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@'],
+              input: foo_lib.vala_gir(),
+              output: 'Foo-1.0.typelib',
+              install: true,
+              install_dir: get_option('libdir') / 'girepository-1.0')
+```
+
+
+*Before Meson 1.10*, calculating the path to the input is required, as is adding a
+manual dependency to the vala target:
+
 ```meson
 g_ir_compiler = find_program('g-ir-compiler')
 custom_target('foo typelib', command: [g_ir_compiler, '--output', '@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@'],
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/vala-target-extra-methods.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/vala-target-extra-methods.md
index 72d89e56e..526f557a2 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/snippets/vala-target-extra-methods.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/vala-target-extra-methods.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ## Vala BuildTarget dependency enhancements
 
 A BuildTarget that has Vala sources can now get a File dependency for its
-generated header and generated vapi.
+generated header, vapi, and gir files.
 
 ```meson
 lib = library('foo', 'foo.vala')
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ lib_h = lib.vala_header()
 lib_s = static_lib('static', 'static.c', lib_h)
 
 lib_vapi = lib.vala_vapi()
+
+custom_target(
+  'foo-typelib',
+  command : ['g-ir-compiler', '--output', '@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@'],
+  input : lib.vala_gir(),
+  output : 'Foo-1.0.typelib'
+)
 ```
 
 `static.c` will not start compilation until `lib.h` is generated.