Re: A standard package for config files is needed

[Preben Randhol <randhol+abuse@pvv.org>]

On Fri, 31 May 2002 09:46:14 -0400, Marin David Condic wrote:
> Just to add some useful meat to my own little rant... :-)
> 
> Suppose that we were to get a good spec written for Grace.Maps & have that
> up and working. Suppose that we built on top of this some version of

Yes, but getting a good spec is far from having a working version :-) Somebody
once said: "Development is 25% planning, 75% work (as in implementing++).
More planning will lead to that nothing gets done as more and more
special cases are found." Of course where the percentage line goes is
not important, but there is something like planning yourself to death.
We have an expression (there is probably an English equivalent) "One
feather became ten hens" :-)

> "Grace.AdaINIRegistryWhozits" that implemented some version of a tree-ish,
> registry-ish, thingamabob that is built out of Grace.Maps. Provided you've
> got your 'Input and 'Output and make a Load and Store operation for the data
> structure, you *instantly* have a usable registry/initialization thing.
> Programs can use it to set up and retrieve all of their configuration
> information and we're off to the races.
>

> From there, you can start adding child packages:

Yes, but if we make the Import_Export_Flat_ASCII_Files parser now we
just have to put this as a child package if/when an AdaINIRegistry
emerges :-)

> But the *real* advantage to this strategy is that you get a usable, real,
> component quickly and if you want to provide other capabilities at a later
> point, this isn't a problem. Connecting to specific OS capabilities ("The
> Registry") could be hidden beneath some additional package. Providing some
> sort of mutex capabilities via a database or something could be added on.
> Whatever the needs are, you get there eventually.

Yes.

> 
> But why agonize over all these details now? We can burn those bridges when
> we get to them. :-) Opt for something simple & realizable within our
> lifetimes & maybe it will get done. Isn't that keeping within the whole
> spirit of "Open Source" and "Bizarre Development" :-)

Hehehe

Preben