Re: Use of XML for config files

[Darren New <dnew@san.rr.com>]

Georg Bauhaus wrote:
> Fine except that you make a decision to limit us to
> no subsections unless you allow "Section.Subsection"?

Yes. That makes it simple.

> (I'm guessing that if we go on, you would be demonstrating
> that by building special syntax into the keys in an INI file
> you could do pretty much anything that can be done with XML? :-)

You're arguing a different argument than I'm arguing.

> For an example of what cannot easily be done in INI format,
> the distinction between values that are in fact
> properties of items (like in the brush example) and values
> for "stand alone" items (to me) are not really explicit in k=v, unless
> the dot has this meaning. But when does a '.' have this meaning?
> For example in a.b.c, what meaning does the first dot have
> what meaning has the second? Aren't you introducing context
> dependent meanings of the symbol '.'?

I think you're *still* asking questions instead of answering them. You may
be right. Maybe only XML is powerful enough to do what you want. But until
you say what it is you want, we're going to be arguing in circles, so I'm
not going to say that.

For exmaple,
> How are the configuration values stored internally?
Such a question is far too premature, considering that you haven't even
given the vaguest outline of what you expect your API to look like. If you
want some API where the order of keys matters, then you're thinking
something completely different than I am.

> : So what are you suggesting the XML-based API should look like?
> It should make no mention of XML, of course :-).

Stating what it isn't doesn't really answer any questions. 

> it is an option to choose a format and/or provide
> for functionality to convert between them, if that is possible

Again, premature. Having a very explicit file format finalized before anyone
even decides what the API looks like is kind of silly.

That said, see my other post following up the API proposed by Mr Leake.


-- 
Darren New 
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