Re: [Configobj-develop] Re: ConfigObj unicode Support in SVN

[Michael F. <fuz...@vo...>]

Nicola Larosa wrote:
>>> My preference would be the ability to specify a file object to
>>> cfg_obj.write().
>>>       
>
>   
>> So you'd like to be able to pass a file like object to ``write()``...
>> hmmm...
>>
>> Again, this is something that you used to be able to do with ConfigObj
>> 3, but I removed to reduce the level of complexity.
>>
>> To be symmetric with initialisation, you ought then be able to pass in a
>> filename as well. Seeing as you can already achieve this just be setting
>> the ``filename`` attribute (which ok sounds a little weird for this
>> purpose), I decided not to do it.
>>
>> Hmmm... I guess it wouldn't hurt being able to pass an optional file
>> object to write, it's just that the API keeps growing...
>>
>> Nicola, do you have any take on this ?
>>     
>
> Well, it actually feels a little awkward that ConfigObj is in the business
> of opening files, and having to store the filename in an attribute. It
> seems best that ``write`` just receives a file-like object, and be done
> with it.
>
> This seems a worthy addition to me. At this point you probably have to keep
> the filename attribute for compatibility anyway, but maybe you could even
> find a way to deprecate it? :-)
>   

I realise that in Python it is more common to pass around file like 
objects than filenames. I guess this is more object oriented because of 
the "like" bit. However it has always felt more awkward to me, because 
 >90% of the time I use "file-like" objects, they are file objects.

Invariably when I write a config file, it is to the same one that was 
opened. My current idiom (based on having a hardwired config filename, 
or retrieving from the user) is :

    retrieve filename
    instantiate ConfigObj
    ..
    do stuff
    ..
    write

The alternative becomes :

    get filename
    open file
    instantiate ConfigObj (whilst keeping a separate reference to the 
filename)
    close file
    ..
    do stuff
    ..
    get filename again
    open file
    write
    close file

It just seems a lot more awkward. ConfigObj *already* supports passing 
it an open file on instantiation. I guess passing an open file to 
``write`` is a logical extension of this, but I won't deprecate 
``filename``.

All the best,


Fuzzyman
http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/index.shtml