New repository configuration ponderings

[Ralf Corsepius]

On Tue, 2006-05-30 at 11:48 +0200, Dag Wieers wrote:
> On Tue, 30 May 2006, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> 
> > There isn't any tool to provide this feature for current apt's
> > configuration. So, all you are trying here, is to fight xml by raising
> > additional demands.
> 
> Ralf, there is a big difference between the XML snippet you showed and the 
> apt.conf snippet. It's called readability. It may not be that noticable 
> from 1 single line, but if the complete config-file is a list of
> 
> 	<whateveroption1>this is some value</whateveroption1>
> 	<somethingelse>another value</sometingelse>
> 	<lotsmore>value1 value2</lotsmore>
> 
> And this with some more nesting.
Now have a look into a real world apt.conf,
e.g. /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/default.conf.

The structure is _exactly_ the same a corresponding xml one would look
like. The only difference is the grammar.

> I know lots of people would have a problem with the above. But the 
> difference is, for this you *need* color highlighting or you go insane 
> (well, maybe not you, but the majority does).
> 
> While the apt.conf format used right now (while certainly not the most 
> simple) is much easier to parse yourself and check for correctness.
Are you sure your apt.conf is correct, or is it just that the values you
add to it are not diagnosed as errors?

>  And it 
> makes a big difference if you have to rely on a tool to check for 
> correctness.
Yes, with xml you'd have a tool. With apt.conf you don't have any, but
you also don't know if the config values you add to an apt.conf are
used.

Ralf