✨ Allow configuring description of extra option

docs/configuration.rst

@@ -113,12 +113,12 @@ For example:
       {directive="spec", title="Specification", prefix="S_", color="#FEDCD2", style="node"},
    ]
 
-To specify a different `table path <https://toml.io/en/v1.0.0#table>`__ to read from in the toml file, use the ``needs_from_toml_table`` option.
+To specify a different `root table path <https://toml.io/en/v1.0.0#table>`__ to read from in the toml file, use the ``needs_from_toml_table`` option.
 For example to read from a ``[tool.needs]`` table:
 
 .. code-block:: python
 
-   needs_from_toml_table = ["tool", "needs"]
+   needs_from_toml_table = ["tool"]
 
 .. caution:: Any configuration specifying relative paths in the toml file will be resolved relative to the directory containing the :file:`conf.py` file.
 
@@ -256,6 +256,24 @@ And use it like:
    .. needlist::
       :filter: "filter_me" in another_option
 
+.. versionadded:: 4.1.0
+
+    Values in the list can also be dictionaries, with keys:
+
+    * ``name``: The name of the option (required).
+    * ``description``: A description of the option (optional).
+        This will be output in the schema of the :ref:`needs.json <needs_builder_format>`,
+        and can be used by other tools.
+
+    For example:
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+       needs_extra_options = [
+           "my_extra_option",
+           {"name": "my_other_option", "description": "This is a description of the option"}
+       ]
+
 .. _needs_global_options:
 
 needs_global_options

sphinx_needs/config.py

@@ -228,6 +228,14 @@ class NeedType(TypedDict):
     """The default node style to use in diagrams (default: "node")."""
 
 
+class NeedExtraOption(TypedDict):
+    """Defines an extra option for needs"""
+
+    name: str
+    description: NotRequired[str]
+    """A description of the option."""
+
+
 @dataclass
 class NeedsSphinxConfig:
     """A wrapper around the Sphinx configuration,
@@ -313,9 +321,9 @@ def get_default(cls, name: str) -> Any:
     """Path to a TOML file to load configuration from."""
 
     from_toml_table: list[str] = field(
-        default_factory=lambda: ["needs"], metadata={"rebuild": "env", "types": (list,)}
+        default_factory=list, metadata={"rebuild": "env", "types": (list,)}
     )
-    """Path to the table in the toml file to load configuration from."""
+    """Path to the root table in the toml file to load configuration from."""
 
     types: list[NeedType] = field(
         default_factory=lambda: [
@@ -407,7 +415,7 @@ def get_default(cls, name: str) -> Any:
         default=30, metadata={"rebuild": "html", "types": (int,)}
     )
     """Maximum length of the title in the need role output."""
-    _extra_options: list[str] = field(
+    _extra_options: list[str | NeedExtraOption] = field(
         default_factory=list, metadata={"rebuild": "html", "types": (list,)}
     )
     """List of extra options for needs, that get added as directive options and need fields."""

sphinx_needs/needs.py

@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@
     try:
         with toml_file.open("rb") as f:
             toml_data = tomllib.load(f)
-        for key in toml_path:
+        for key in (*toml_path, "needs"):
             toml_data = toml_data[key]
         assert isinstance(toml_data, dict), "Data must be a dict"
     except Exception as e:
@@ -411,15 +411,40 @@
     needs_config = NeedsSphinxConfig(app.config)
 
     if isinstance(needs_config._extra_options, dict):
-        LOGGER.info(
+        log_warning(
+            LOGGER,
             'Config option "needs_extra_options" supports list and dict. However new default type since '
-            "Sphinx-Needs 0.7.2 is list. Please see docs for details."
+            "Sphinx-Needs 0.7.2 is list. Please see docs for details.",
+            "config",
+            None,
         )
 
     for option in needs_config._extra_options:
-        _NEEDS_CONFIG.add_extra_option(
-            option, "Added by needs_extra_options config", override=True
-        )
+        description = "Added by needs_extra_options config"
+        if isinstance(option, str):
+            name = option
+        elif isinstance(option, dict):
+            try:
+                name = option["name"]
+            except KeyError:
+                log_warning(
+                    LOGGER,
+                    f"extra_option is a dict, but does not contain a 'name' key: {option}",
+                    "config",
+                    None,
+                )
+                continue
+            description = option.get("description", description)
+        else:
+            log_warning(
+                LOGGER,
+                f"extra_option is not a string or dict: {option}",
+                "config",
+                None,
+            )
+            continue
+
+        _NEEDS_CONFIG.add_extra_option(name, description, override=True)
 
     # ensure options for ``needgantt`` functionality are added to the extra options
     for option in (needs_config.duration_option, needs_config.completion_option):