[Freeciv-Dev] Re: do you really want to work on the ~ (was: registry)

["pasky@xxxxxxxxxxx" <dbsmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Originally to: David Bryan Smith

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Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 22:05:22 +0100
From: Petr Baudis <pasky@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Jules Bean <jules@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: freeciv-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Freeciv-Dev] Re: do you really want 
to work on the ~ (was: registry)
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Dear diary, on Wed, Dec 05, 2001 at 
09:30:15PM CET, I got a letter,
where Jules Bean <jules@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> told 
me, that...
> On Wed, Dec 05, 2001 at 08:25:23PM +0100, 
Petr Baudis wrote:
> > I think we don't need XML at all. It at 
least looks much less readable and
> > comfortablee for me. I would be 
completely happy with C-like ruleset syntax -
> > i.e.:
> > 
> > building {
> >   id = "Airport";
> >   name = _("Airport");
> >   tech_req = "Radio";
> >   effect {
> >     type = "Unit_Veteran";
> >     range = "City";
> >     aff_unit = "Air";
> >   }
> >   effect {
> >     type = "Airlift";
> >     range = "City";
> >   }
> >   helptext = _("Blablabla\
> > blabla\n\nbla\
> > blah!");
> > }
> 
> That is neater.  XML is more verbose, 
certainly.
Excessively verbose I would say. I just don't 
think XML is good for everything.
This is not the case where XML would give any 
huge benefit.

> > It would be IMHO much cleaner than 
current one, and actually not so much
> > different. As a parser, I don't see 
anything particulary wrong on flex+bison.
> > Easy to use, portable, effecient.
> 
> I don't recommend it.  Writing your own 
parser is error-prone (unless
> you feel like the challenge). Much nicer to 
use a library which loads
> a format for you.  XML gives you that, and 
even some level of
> validation.
That's why I recommended flex+bison.

> Alternatively, there may be standardised 
forms of the above. Doesn't
> the stuff libproplist uses look a bit like 
that?
Freshmeat: Nothing
Google: Nothing (descriptive in first 30 
matches)
But it is really easy to write using 
flex+bison ;).

> OTOH, the thing about XMl is there exist 
nice editors for it. And nice 
> modes for popular editors. And it's easy to 
filter and
> transform. (Automatically generated 
beautful LaTeX format
> documentation from your ruleset file?)
Purpose?

-- 

                                Petr "Pasky" Baudis

UN*X programmer, UN*X administrator, hobbies 
= IPv6, IRC, FreeCiv hacking
.
  "A common mistake that people make, when 
trying to design
   something completely foolproof is to 
underestimate the
   ingenuity of complete fools."
     -- Douglas Adams in Mostly Harmless
.
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