Re: Using XML to handle all configuration files
I think that XML config format would be cool for 2 (main) reasons:
1: A consistent file structure is easier to learn and remember
when trying to configure a new package / program. The XML itself can
even be used as documentation for the format (reference-style doc, not
tutorial-style).
2: The program writers can eliminate (nearly) all of their config
file parsing and error handling -- the XML parser will do that instead
(especially if it is a validating parser).
On Wed, Jan 17, 2001 at 10:49:15PM -0300, Nicolás Lichtmaier wrote:
[snip]
| > debian-devel (I think some people are still nervous about the whole
| > idea). So feel free to repost any of this if you want.
|
| True. People feels nervous when hearing XML. They don't realize that things
| are actually simpler, as much of the code is available *now* (have you used
| libxml2? It's very easy... ).
|
Oh? Who's afraid of XML? Maybe they think that they will have to
write all the parsing code themselves? I've tried the DOM and SAX
parser for Python myself (wrappers around expat I believe). Very
simple indeed!
| >
| > I would try to have some standard for all config files, eg
Definitely!
[snip]
| where getconf is a property getter program like the ones used by debconf.
|
Have you looked at GConf? It is a new part of the gnome environment.
I don't know too much about the details of it, but from what I
understand it is supposed to be a universal configuration manager. It
might resemble the M$ Windows registry. I definitely don't want a
mess like the windows registry, but a simple and consistent config
mechanism is a must.
-D
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