Re: A standard package for config files is needed

[achrist@easystreet.com]

Gautier wrote:
> 
> Are you sure of it ? My impression is that Windows lets the .ini files
> in peace, unless the program using the .ini uses the Windows API for 
>  I/O - like any other text file!

Sure.  If you never use the ini file API for ini files, it
will leave it right there AFAIK.  If you know that no other application 
will ever try to access your app's ini file and you make sure that
only one copy of your app is running at once,  you don't have to 
worry about simultaneous accesses and updates. If everyone always
does everything your way, it will work just fine.

However, there are something like a dozen functions in the Windows
API for accessing and updating ini file data.  Depending on what version
of Windows, these functions may cache data, may share data if accesses
to the same data come from multiple processes, and MS more or less
reserved the right to move the ini file right into the registry without
any further ado, if and when they wanted to.  IOW, the OS vendor wants
you to use their 12+ functions to access this data.  If everyone always
does everything the MS way, it will work just fine.  

Al