This adds a feature to gclient to allow the (optional) specification of the...

depot_tools/README.gclient

 # Copyright 2008-2009, Google Inc.
 
 gclient is a tool for managing a modular checkout of source code
 from multiple source code repositories.  It wraps underlying source
 code management commands to provide support for distributing tree
 updates, status commands, and diffs across multiple checked-out
 working directories.
 
 
 The gclient script is controlled by a ".gclient" file at the top
@@ skipping 23 matching lines @@
         The name of the directory in which the solution will be
         checked out.
 
     url
         The URL from which this solution will be checked out.
         gclient expects that the checked-out solution will contain a
         file named "DEPS" that in turn defines the specific pieces
         that must be checked out to create the working directory
         layout for building and developing the solution's software.
 
+    deps_file
+        A string containing just the filename (not a path) of the file
+        in the solution dir to use as the list of dependencies.
+        This tag is optional, and defaults to "DEPS".
+
     custom_deps
         A dictionary containing optional custom overrides for entries
         in the solution's "DEPS" file.  This can be used to have
         the local working directory *not* check out and update specific
         components, or to sync the local working-directory copy of a
         given component to a different specific revision, or a branch,
         or the head of a tree. It can also be used to append new entries
         that do not exist in the "DEPS" file.
 
 Within each checked-out solution, gclient expects to find a file
-named "DEPS" which defines the different component pieces of
-software that must be checked out for the solution.  The "DEPS"
-file is a Python script that defines a dictionary named "deps":
+typically named "DEPS" (it actually uses the value of the 'deps_file'
+key above) which defines the different component pieces of software
+that must be checked out for the solution.  The "DEPS" file is a
+Python script that defines a dictionary named "deps":
 
     deps = {
       "src/outside" : "http://outside-server/trunk@1234",
       "src/component" : "svn://svnserver/component/trunk/src@77829",
       "src/relative" : "/trunk/src@77829",
     }
 
 Each item in the "deps" dictionary consists of a key-value pair.
 The key is the directory into which the component will be checked
 out, relative to the directory containing the ".gclient" file.
 The value is the URL from which that directory will be checked out.
 If there is no address scheme (that is, no "http:" or "svn:" prefix),
 then the value must begin with a slash and is treated relative to the
 root of the solution's repository.
 
 The URL typically contains a specific revision or change number (as
 appropriate for the underlying SCM system) to "freeze" the external
 software at a specific, known state.  Alternatively, if there is no
 revision or change number, the URL will track the latest changes on the
 specific trunk or branch.