Configuration API

[Lars Hallberg]

Thomas Leonard wrote:

>On Thu, Apr 29, 2004 at 01:06:23PM -0400, Sean Middleditch wrote:
>[...]
>  
>
>>This is a good place for specification (which has no need to be codified
>>in the API) to step in.  I.e., we provide this API and programming
>>interface for backends.  We also provide a document of "freedesktop.org
>>approved formats" for storing common data types.  I.e., this
>>specification might say that "All colors must be stored as hex-encoded
>><string>s as specified in the following W3C standard..."  We can then
>>provide names for these formats.
>>    
>>
>
>That sounds ideal. It should actually make it easier to specify new types,
>since we just have to add them to the list ("Colours should be #rrggbb")
>and front ends can add support when they need to, while all backends
>continue to work fine without changes.
>  
>
Think we need more. Some existing config format store colors in other 
format. Ther backends have to translate fourth and back to the standard 
one. It would also be nice with syntax checks on the formats.

>Yep. I think people should be able to buy into a shared config system
>without having to accept our schema language. We should propose a shared
>one separately (the Config4GNU team will have a lot of ideas here, I'm
>sure), but it should stand on its own merits.
>  
>
If it is possably to make optional in a clean way, thats good!

/LaH