docs for config command should say more precisely that some features only work for the "extra"

[joachim-n]

I tried the following commands to add data to a repository definition in my composer.json and all failed:

composer config repositories.my_repo.options.versions.my_package '4.0.17'
composer config repositories.my_repo  --merge '{"trunk-path": "master"}'

The docs at https://getcomposer.org/doc/03-cli.md#config make it sound like the --merge option and passing JSON and using nested keys will work.

The language used isn't clearly saying that these only work for setting data in the "extra". (At least that's what I deduce is going on.)

[Seldaek]

The help shows Merge the setting value with the current value, to be used with extra.* keys in combination with --json - that souds to me quite clear :D But yeah anyway editing repos is not fully possible. It's quite a bit of work to support all permutations and ultimately not super common..

[joachim-n]

"to be used" sounds like "it's useful for working with extra.* keys rather than "it will ONLY work with extra.* keys"

[Seldaek]

Then feel free to PR clearer wording :)

[joachim-n]

Will do. I wasn't sure if that was the case, or if I'd made a mistake in my command syntax.

While I'm at it -- are there any other flags which only work with certain sections of the config?

[Seldaek]

--json also is extra only and --append only for repositories I think that's it