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----- Original Message ---- |
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> From: Neil Bothwick <neil@××××××××××.uk> |
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> On Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:09:16 +0200, Alan McKinnon wrote: |
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> > > XML is a machine-readable file format that just happens to use ASCII |
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> > > characters, it is not meant to be modified by a text editor, so if |
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> > > your program uses XML configuration files, it should include a means |
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> > > of editing those files that does not include the use of vim. |
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> > which almost by definition means you need an xml-information parser on |
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> > par with an xml-parser to figure out what the hell the fields mean, |
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> > then design an intelligent viewer-editor thingy that lets the user |
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> > add-delete-change the information in the xml file. All the while |
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> > displaying to the user at least some information about the fields in |
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> > view. |
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Making the interface for the config file - XML or otherwise - is far more complex and cumbersome than writing the parser (XML or otherwise). |
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> Or a pretty GUI with clicky boxes to change the settings while never |
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> letting the user see the contents of the XML. |
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Once the user interface is in place it doesn't matter whether it is XML or something else. |
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The key is that is has a user interface, you can do a INI format and still be just as crappy. |
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The problem is that most don't think through using the XML so much. They just start using it. |
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While I have not had any problems with HAL myself (it just works); I do agree that a good user interface is necessary for the config files - I'd agree that is the case for any program, regardless of its back-end config file format. |
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$0.02 |
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Ben |
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