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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: XML/XSD based configuration files.
From:       Aaron Seigo <aseigo () kde ! org>
Date:       2004-12-07 19:09:26
Message-ID: 200412071209.29739.aseigo () kde ! org
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On December 7, 2004 11:44, Frans Englich wrote:
> I would consider that such a low priority it can be neglectable; that
> people need to manually hack files is the bug, not that it's difficult.

seeing as this happens on a regular basis while doing "tech support" on irc 
and via email, it hardly matters what you or i or the purple elephants on my 
bed think ;-) it happens, it's appreciated and it therefore has value.

simply discounting how people actually use the system as "invalid" is not 
productive or a way to engender ourselves to users.

a possible answer is "let them use kconfigeditor" but that sounds a lot like 
"let them eat cake". unless there are significant wins to changing the format 
(which i haven't seen yet), i see no reason to toss away human friendly 
formats.

and no, buzzword compliance or "it's a standard" doesn't cut it. not even 
close. look at where going with the buzzwordy "standard compliant" CORBA got 
our sister project, for instance. the Linux desktop is heading towards DBUS 
not because it embodies a tech industry buzzword or is a standard; it's 
because things like DCOP and DBUS work, plain and simple.

when moving forward with plans for KDE's config system, we should keep these 
lessons in mind.

now, for application DATA it's a whole other ballgame. users are 
expected/expecting to interact with it directly, and so there it could work 
wonders, esp when it comes to interop. c.f. the OASIS format.

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
Society is Geometric

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