Re: gEDA-user: [RFC 1/6] Non-Turing-complete configuration files.

[Árpád Magosányi <magwas@xxxxxxxxx>]

2009/1/18 al davis <ad151@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> On Sunday 18 January 2009, Árpád Magosányi wrote:
>> I think it would be instructive to take a tour in the /etc
>> directory of a Debian or Ubuntu system. All of the config
>> files are expected to be user writable, just do not use
>> config generator tools afterwards. If one needs config
>> generator, then one uses it, if wants extra, then writes
>> config by hand. This wheel is also invented long ago. A lot
>> of engineering hours are already spent on thinking through
>> this class of problems, and the right solution is already
>> found. You just have to learn from it.
>
> .... and learn from its mistakes.
>
> The big mistake is that the choice of the config generator tool
> is all or nothing.

No. It is possible to separate automatically generated configuration
from manual one. The easiest solution is to provide a place which
never written but always read, and where one can manually override
anything automatically generated.

> You can use the config generator as much as
> you want, but as soon as you manually edit you must not use the
> config generator any more.  If you do, you lose the manual
> edits.

If you manually edit, you don't want to use the config generator
anymore. Either because you don't like it, or because you do something
which is impossible from the generator.

>
> Another big flaw in the config generators is that they often
> generate really horrible looking config files that nobody would
> want to manually edit, even when the original config files are
> well designed.  This wouldn't be such a problem if the config
> generator were relatively complete, but mostly they are not.
> Often, they give you just enough to get started.

I would disagree with the usage of "often" here. Most of those
generated config files are very simple. However this is a point worth
thinking about: do not even try to come out with a complex config
generator if you are not absolutely have to, because having nothing is
far better than having a complex but incomplete solution. This is just
the KISS principle applied to configuration.
Yes, it is possible to overcomplicate simple variable=value
assignments, but you don't have to.


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