winpython
diff --git a/‎README_PYPI.md‎
Lines changed: 5 additions & 2 deletions b/‎README_PYPI.md‎
Lines changed: 5 additions & 2 deletions
diff --git a/‎tests/test_top_level.py‎
Lines changed: 7 additions & 1 deletion b/‎tests/test_top_level.py‎
Lines changed: 7 additions & 1 deletion
diff --git a/‎wppm/wppm.py‎
Lines changed: 6 additions & 2 deletions b/‎wppm/wppm.py‎
Lines changed: 6 additions & 2 deletions
@@ -104,10 +104,13 @@ redirection leaves them behind:
 
 ```console
 $ wppm requirements_slim.txt -tl -t D:\WPy64\python > requirements_slim_new.txt
-160 entries -> 112 kept, 48 already pulled in
-8 repeated, collapsed: brotli, openai, pympler, pytest, python-barcode, ...
+# 160 entries -> 112 kept, 48 already pulled in
+# 8 repeated, collapsed: brotli, openai, pympler, pytest, python-barcode, ...
 ```
 
+Those two lines are commented although they go to stderr, so folding both streams into
+one file (`> new.txt 2>&1`) still leaves a file pip can read.
+
 The notes the source file carried are kept, since they are its author's. `-v` adds the
 reasoning: where the list came from, and every dropped entry commented out with what
 pulls it in, so re-asking for one is uncommenting it.
 
@@ -155,7 +155,13 @@ def test_source_notes_are_kept_even_plainly(self, pip):
 class TestSummary:
     def test_counts_what_happened(self, pip):
         notes = wppm_module.top_level_summary(pip.top_level(["app", "lib", "orphan"]))
-        assert "3 entries -> 2 kept, 1 already pulled in" in notes[0]
+        assert notes[0] == "# 3 entries -> 2 kept, 1 already pulled in"
+
+    def test_every_note_is_a_comment(self, pip):
+        """stdout and stderr may well end up in the same file."""
+        notes = wppm_module.top_level_summary(pip.top_level(["orphan", "orphan", "nosuchpackage"]))
+        assert len(notes) == 3
+        assert all(note.startswith("# ") for note in notes)
 
     def test_reports_repeats(self, pip):
         notes = wppm_module.top_level_summary(pip.top_level(["orphan", "orphan"]))
 
@@ -306,14 +306,18 @@ def top_level_as_requirements(result, comments=(), source=None, verbose=False):
     return lines
 
 def top_level_summary(result):
-    """What the caller should know about the answer, rather than of it."""
+    """What the caller should know about the answer, rather than of it.
+
+    Commented, though it goes to stderr: someone will fold the two streams
+    into one file sooner or later, and a comment costs nothing.
+    """
     kept, dropped = result["kept"], result["dropped"]
     notes = [f"{len(kept) + len(dropped)} entries -> {len(kept)} kept, {len(dropped)} already pulled in"]
     if result["duplicates"]:
         notes.append(f"{len(result['duplicates'])} repeated, collapsed: {few(result['duplicates'], 12)}")
     if result["unknown"]:
         notes.append(f"{len(result['unknown'])} not installed in the target, so left unresolved: {few(result['unknown'])}")
-    return notes
+    return [f"# {note}" for note in notes]
 
 def main(test=False):
     # package summaries may contain characters the console codepage can't encode (emoji): don't crash