Best way to store config or preferences in a multi-platform way.

[tinnews at isbd.co.uk]

Carl Banks <pavlovevidence at gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 1, 12:11 pm, Jon Ribbens <jon+use... at unequivocal.co.uk> wrote:
> > On 2008-05-01, Ivan Illarionov <ivan.illario... at gmail.com> 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.
> 
But XML has human unfriendly syntax, is awkward to type, is difficult
to read, what's good about it?  If there's a GUI between you and the
XML then OK, but that wasn't where we were was it?

-- 
Chris Green