On Thu, 01 May 2008 16:32:00 -0700, Carl Banks wrote: > On May 1, 4:50 pm, Ivan Illarionov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> On Thu, 01 May 2008 11:56:20 -0700, Carl Banks wrote: >> > On May 1, 1:30 pm, Ivan Illarionov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> On Thu, 01 May 2008 09:45:28 -0700, Carl Banks wrote: >> >> > On May 1, 12:11 pm, Jon Ribbens <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> > wrote: >> >> >> On 2008-05-01, Ivan Illarionov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> >> >> > IMO .ini-like config files are from the stone age. The modern >> >> >> > approach is to use YAML (http://www.yaml.org). >> >> >> >> You mean YAML isn't a joke!? It's so ludicrously overcomplicated, >> >> >> and so comprehensively and completely fails to achieve its stated >> >> >> main goal of being "readable by humans", that I had assumed it >> >> >> was an April Fool along the lines of Intercal or brainf***. >> >> >> > YAML, ISTM, took a simple concept that worked for small, >> >> > straightforward data, and tried to make into a format that could >> >> > anything anywhere, with disastrous results. It's not unlike Perl >> >> > in this regard. It's quite ridiculous. >> >> >> > My recommendation to the OP would be: >> >> >> > If you intend to write a GUI that completely sets all the options, >> >> > use XML. You can bet there are some users who would prefer text >> >> > editing options files, and XML, while not the most readable format >> >> > available, at least gives users the option. >> >> >> > If you don't intend to write a GUI to do that, write a simple text >> >> > file parser (if the options are simple), use ConfigParser, or use >> >> > a Python file that you exec. >> >> >> > Store the file in $HOME/.appname/config.ext on Unix, $USERDIR/ >> >> > ApplicationData/Appname/config.ext on Windows. I don't recommend >> >> > using the Windows registry to store options; use it to modify >> >> > Windows behavior (like file associations) but keep your own >> >> > program's options in your own file. >> >> >> If you don't like YAML, use JSON or something similar -- XML is >> >> overkill and .INI is too limited. >> >> > I don't think you know the OP's requirements enough to know whether >> > INI or XML is suitable. You're welcome to suggest alternatives but >> > what I suggested is fine. >> >> > As for XML being overkill for anything, I highly disagree. XML is >> > suitable for the smallest tasks. These days I use XML for almost all >> > my data exchange needs: including conf files. Elementtree makes it >> > possible to process XML and pull out some typical data in ten or so >> > lines of code. What could possibly be overkill about that? >> >> > Carl Banks >> >> I used XML for almost everything in the past until I found YAML. >> Elementtree makes it easy but not easy enough. > > I'm honestly very happy for you that you have found the data transfer > format that you are happy with, but I'm sorry, that doesn't amount to a > blanket invalidation of everything you've ever tried and rejected. > > >> The most powerful thing >> about YAML is that it was designed to map directly to native data types >> in languages like Python (see another my post in this thread for >> example). And this means that simple YAML files will always be easier >> to process in Python than XML or INI. And this in turn means that OP >> with any requirements will have to write less code to read and write >> his config files. > > I will mention that Python already has, built in, a data transfer format > that maps directly to Python types: pickle. > > And not only that, it's more readable than YAML. > > > I will also add that what you think of as a strength is not always > thought of as a strength by everyone. In my early days of Python, I > would use pickle for all kinds of things. I've now pretty much switched > entirely to XML, because I no longer believe that direct correspondance > to Python types is a good thing; at least it isn't for me. There is a > very basic reason for this: whenever I write a pair of tools, one to > output some XML data, and another further down the chain to read it back > in, I hardly ever want the data to have the same structure in memory in > both tools. For me, YAML or pickle would not gain me anything; I'd be > doing all that reformatting anyway.
Agree, all depends on programmer's preferences. > Of course, the OP wasn't talking about data transfer, he was talking > about a freaking config file. Reading in a config file is a ridulously > silly thing to try to hyperoptimize. Do you really want him to add an > extra dependency just to reduce code used by five lines? > > > Carl Banks No, all I want is to give the OP a useful alternative and make him aware of the latest trend in the config file formats. -- Ivan -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
