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