[Distutils] comparison of configuration languages

[Ethan Furman]

On 05/10/2016 01:54 AM, Paul Moore wrote:

> Writing our own is simply a way to end up with additional maintenance
> work, that we really don't have the resources for.

I like writing tools.

If the format is one I can get behind I'm happy to be the resource for 
it.  This rules out JSON and YAML, but leaves TOML in the running (as 
in: I'm happy to take over pytoml if its current author is agreeable).

I'm also happy to create one: The Sane/Simple/Super Config Language (or 
.scl for short).  It would be very similar to TOML, possibly a superset.

Tools written so far:

- dbf [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/dbf]
   project I learned Python with (so some rough edges, but very
   serviceable)

- scription [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/scription]
   opinionated command-line parser

- antipathy [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/antipathy]
   file system path library

- aenum [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/aneum]
   totally awesome Enum library ;)  (scaled-down version is the
   stdlib Enum)

- xaml [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/xaml]
   xml processor similar to Ruby's haml

PEPs (co)authored so for have also been tool/library oriented:

- PEP 409 [https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0409]
   raise from None (dbf inspired)

- PEP 435 [https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0435]
   Enum

- PEP 461 [https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0461]
   %-interpolation for bytes & bytearrays

In other words:  this is a serious offer.  ;)

--
~Ethan~