Quentin Garnier skrev:
> On Mon, Jun 18, 2007 at 03:39:25PM +0200, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>> Jared D. McNeill skrev:
>>> Users shouldn't have to edit config files. proplib enables us to build 
>>> tools to move away from having to do this kind of crap. The fact that 
>>> our plist format happens to be in a format that is easily modified with 
>>> a text editor should be viewed as a feature, not a bug.
>> You know, Microsoft Windows already have this approach, and I don't know 
>> how many times I personally, and people nearby, have cursed that.
>> Being able to edit the file yourself, and actually know *everything* it 
>> says, instead of relying on tools that are doing things you have no 
>> control over is considered an advantage for some people.
>>
>> If your sentiment reflects the way NetBSD will be going, I know a lot of 
>> people who will bail out pretty fast.
>>
>> If we want to run Windows, Microsoft already have an excellent solution 
>> for us to use.
> 
> You're completely scrapping away the part where Jared says the file can
> be easily edited in a text editor.

We have different definitions of "easy" then. Anytime when you need to 
have matching tags before and after elements, and this can be nested 
quite some, it becomes quite a headache to manipulate it with a text editor.

Heck, I can edit *anything* with TECO. Even pure binary files. Don't 
mean it's something I want to do...

> I can accept that people don't like XML.

In most cases, I don't see much advantage with XML. It's mostly being 
pushed since it's "cool". I was asking if anyone can tell my why it's 
good apart from being "cool". I haven't seen an answer to that question 
yet. What I do know is that files grow considerably larger with that 
format, and it becomes much trickier to edit with a text editor.

You may call it XML, HTML or Foobar, for all I care. It's not the exact 
name or syntax I'm asking about, it's the general way of storing 
information. Is there really any advantage to it? And what, in that case?

The answer about having tools that can modify the parts they know and 
understand, while leaving the rest alone can hardly be it. It's no more 
difficult to write a program that sucks in normal text lines, and just 
write them out again unchanged if they aren't recognized.

> I HEREBY REQUEST THAT WE REMOVE ALL PRINTCAP-LIKE CONFIGURATION FILES
> FROM /etc BECAUSE YOU CANNOT EDIT THEM WITH JUST AN EDITOR:  YOU NEED
> THE MANUAL PAGE OPENED AT THE SAME TIME.

I dare you to modify any kind of file without knowledge and information 
about what the file should contain, and in which format.

> Plus I find them _really_ ugly, probably even more than I find XML
> ugly.  That's printcap, gettytab, remote, right?  Any other?

passwd?

	Johnny