Xml in packaging system

[James Frazer]

After having a discussion with David Leimbach I've learned a few things.

The DarwinPorts guys are using TCL key/value pairs for the port files 
(which we already knew), however they are developing a package format 
that uses a hybrid xml/binary scheme which is autogenerated by the dport 
system.

It definately has it's good points.

My fear was more that XML would get used for the sake of being used and 
not to solve an actual problem.  It obviously has technical merits, but 
I definately do not like the idea of having to key XML in by hand 
(unless absolutely necessary).  Autogenerated is fine by [lazy] me.

Some programmers are also known to overestimate the complexity of a 
project and make simple things more complicated than they need be.  I 
suppose a happy medium needs to be found.  I am still very much 
interested in the work being done by the opendarwin guys, and I suggest 
that we consider that before re-inventing the wheel yet another time. 
And of course we already have the FreeBSD ports system which at the 
moment serving us well.

--James



Richard Coleman wrote:

<snip>

> I have found that 99% of the time that a project starts with the
> statement "FOO is overkill, let's just do something simple", the project
> will grow in complexity until you wish you had started with the more
> comprehensive approach the first time.  I always get this feeling when