Re: A way of life goes astray [was: Re: [Rest2web-develop] Changed all references to value "tests" into value "checks"...]

[Nicola L. <ni...@te...>]

> Hmmm... There wouldn't *need* to be many structural changes if you can
> resist tinkering with the parts that don't need changing !

That's great news. Yes, I think I maybe could exercise some degree of
restraint, sometimes. ;-)


> Will you *preserve* the indentation used in the config file ?

No, I won't. :-)

Think about it: do you get to decide what kind of indentation Python uses?
You don't. Since indentation is not even significant here, why should we go
to great lengths to parse and retain it? We'll give the user the option to
have the file indented when written, and maybe *even* give the choice
between one tab and four spaces, but that's it. The written layout will
always be the same, consistent one (if any).


> I've done a bit of browsing on the subject of nested hierarchies.
> There's not a lot of consensus on the subject - and some of the
> suggested alternatives are 'orrible.
> 
> Hmmm... your suggestion is less bad than other possibilities I suppose,
> less extra markup than XML.

Glad to hear that. :-)


> Ok if you must I suppose is the answer.

Ehi, take the enthusiasm down a few notches! ;-P


> Converting sys admins to normal sanity is a better option though...

Who's being religious now? :-) Do you want to convert the very few, or
build a tool that will be used by many? Remember, we're not talking about a
way of life, like the choice of a programming language would be. It's just
a config file format, for some deity's sake.

We're even giving those fundamentalist Python programmers (you know who you
are ;-D ) a way to partially force indentantion on their users
(write-only), what more do you want?

And *I* am the one go often gets to be called "fundamentalist" (not only by
you, mind you), sheesh. ;-)


> Markup by indentation is *good*.

Then go and hack on PyYaml, what are you doing here? ;-P Seriously, I
personally agree with you, I like it too. But in this case it's just
something more to care for, something more one has to think about.
Sysadmins actually *thinking*?!? The mind boggles... ;-D

Now, to confirm your agreement once and for all, please stand up and say
loudly, three times, the following:

"I won't touch configobj.py anymore, until Nicola is finished or world's
end, whichever comes first."

Then sign on the dotted line below with your own blood, thank you very much.


-- 
Nicola Larosa - ni...@te...

When I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, "Tom, finish your
dinner - people in China are starving." But after sailing to the edges
of the flat world for a year, I am now telling my own daughters, "Girls,
finish your homework - people in China and India are starving for your
jobs." -- Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times, April 2005