Re: [Evolution] Issue with formatting of gconf files.

[les <hlhowell pacbell net>]

On Fri, 2011-02-04 at 06:13 -0500, Adam Tauno Williams wrote:
> On Fri, 2011-02-04 at 09:30 +0000, Pete Biggs wrote: 
> > > How many of you can read and understand this bit of code?
> > My gconfd can and that's all that matters.  They are NOT text config
> > files like /etc/yum.conf.
> > > I especially dislike the ########## ##### # localhost localdomain
> > > filename.
> > It's not a file name, it's a UID - the clue is in the bit before it
> > which says "uid=".  It's a unique identifier for, in this case, a group
> > calendars.
>
> This is the same scheme used to identify an e-mail message or an
> iCalendar object (VEVENT, VTODO, VJOURNAL, VCARD, etc...)  I'm pretty
> sure it is standardized in some ancient RFC [it is at least described in
> the iCalendar RFC).
>
> > > But putting an entire page of a book of code in one line is
> > > unforgivable.  I write converters between systems, changing hardware,
> > > software platforms and instrument capabilities.  I would be embarrassed
> > > to show something like this to one of my customers, moreover it would
> > > probably result in my never being hired again.
> > The fact that you seem not to grasp the usage or significance of Gconf
> > and are willing to indulge in a rant without researching what you are
> > ranting about would make me very worried if I were one of your
> > customers.
>
> If in fact you "write converters between systems" then you should *LOVE*
> g-conf; it's XML!  Meaning you can reliably, easily, and quickly process
> the contents.  Verses the crap-hole that is a "text file".
A text file can indeed be a crap-hole, especially if one chooses not to
form thoughts as paragraphs, situations as chapters, or sequences into
phrases and sentences that others can understand.  So can any form of
programming language.  And that includes eXtended Meta Language.

And the syntax of XML does not mean you can reliably easily and quickly
process the contents as seen here by the comments that don't recognize
where this comes from, what it represents or even how to edit it without
taking it out of context into a texteditor and editing it by hand
because the tools are currently broken that somehow created the mess
that exists on my system right now.

If one misplaces the "=" which is in reality the symbol for numerics, or
changes its use within the meta file, then its use becomes much more
scrambled, or if the UID doesn't exist, the file becomes unstable and to
some degree unusable as it has on my system.

As you gain experience, you too, will come to agree with these comments.
I can remember writing the kind of comments you wrote here.  I suggest
that you frame this entire mail and hang it over your desk.  If I am
still around in 10 years, send me a note about this then.

Regards,
Les H