1 |
Alan McKinnon wrote: |
2 |
> On Monday 18 January 2010 18:26:21 Mike Edenfield wrote: |
3 |
> |
4 |
>>> +1 I do OK with plain text but no clue on the new xml stuff. Why not |
5 |
>>> just keep it simple? Is xml REALLY needed? |
6 |
>>> |
7 |
>> XML allows you to generate complex, structured, hierarchical data that |
8 |
>> can be read, changed, and stored by well-tested third party libraries |
9 |
>> that don't need to know anything about the contents or meaning of your |
10 |
>> configuration data beforehand. This means I, as a developer, don't need |
11 |
>> to write any code to read and parse configurations, validate the syntax |
12 |
>> or structure (only the content), or persist it back out. |
13 |
>> |
14 |
>> In simpler terms: less time spent on the configuration parser, more time |
15 |
>> spent being productive. |
16 |
>> |
17 |
> |
18 |
> |
19 |
> Just as code is read many more times than it is written, so is a package |
20 |
> configured by the end user many more times than the config parser studied by |
21 |
> the developer. |
22 |
> |
23 |
> Your post makes sense until you realise that the use of XML in a configuration |
24 |
> designed to be changed by the user renders the package virtually unusable. |
25 |
> Given a choice between me as a developer struggling with a config parser |
26 |
> versus vast swathes of users dumping the package because of the same parser, |
27 |
> I'd say it's me that has to work harder, not my users. |
28 |
> |
29 |
> |
30 |
|
31 |
I'll add this, if devicekit uses xml and doesn't work "out of the box," |
32 |
as in me not having to config the thing, then it is no better than hal. |
33 |
It may be that if I could do xml that I could have gotten hal to work. |
34 |
Thing is, I can't do xml at the time. I suspect that I am not alone on |
35 |
this. |
36 |
|
37 |
So, it is possible that hal was doomed by xml for me at least. If |
38 |
devicekit uses it, then it may get masked as well. Sounds like |
39 |
devicekit needs to be really good. I'm sort of hooked on a working |
40 |
keyboard and a mouse for some reason. Call me silly but they sort of |
41 |
make the puter work. |
42 |
|
43 |
Still hoping tho. |
44 |
|
45 |
Dale |
46 |
|
47 |
:-) :-) |