configuration files

[Dan Melomedman]

James Frazer wrote:
> Haha, I'm not doing anything.  I was just interested in everyone's 
> opinion.  I am aware of the parallels between the windows registry & 
> shoving all config stuff into one giant XML file.  That was not what I 
> was suggesting.  The Windows registry is a dirty mess (however it does 
> have technical merits in some aspects *ducks*).

Windows has an edge with Active Directory, not registry. Active
Directory is just an LDAP server with MS propriatory schemas. You can
have this with Unix too with a bit of work since LDAP NSS and
authentication modules are not written yet (and those that are written
are a freaking mess from the design and implementation stand point,
I agree that these should have been designed around IPC in the first place).
PAM for instance, is a prime example of crappy design.

The problem with configuration files is that they require parsing, and
and often complex parsing. Parsing is more often than not hard to get right.