Re: SEUL: Parsely announcements: Draft 1

[Roger Dingledine <arma@mit.edu>]

On Fri, Apr 14, 2000 at 12:01:02AM -0400, Pete St. Onge wrote:
> > ***Which, if any, is best?
> 
> Parsely: A programmer's tool for parsing and manipulating configuration
>          files  ?
 
I agree, I like this one. (Of course, Pete and I colluded and came up
with it before he sent the mail. But still, I like it. :) 
 
> > =============================================================Freshmeat
> 
> Parsely is a general framework for writing configuration tools. 

i would argue against the term 'framework'. parsely really is a back-end,
meaning it can be called separately from your configuration tool, and
it really doesn't dictate any of the structure of your tool. (is this
correct, nick?)

> It exposes programmer-friendly interfaces to nearly any text-based file

consistent programmer-friendly interfaces?

> format, so workable applications can be rapidly made by providing the

'workable applications'? ugh. what are those? i think i prefer nick's
wording, on this one.

> front-ends.  Parsely manipulates configuration files without disturbing
> whitespace or formatting.
 
i like the addition of the word 'files' here. it makes it much cleaner.
(i assume it was originally a typo)

> Python/pcre/SPARK support is complete, alpha-tested and ready for a
> public beta. C/flex/Bison support is 50% done, and should be available
> for testing by the end of May.

I don't think that saying python/pcre/spark is gratuitous. mind you, i
have no idea what pcre and spark are until i see the c/flex/bison comment,
and then i know that pcre is a flex lookalike and spark is a bison
lookalike. (am i right? (maybe i mean workalike rather than lookalike. but
you get the picture.)) i think this is fine.
 
> Although Parsely is not a complete configuration tool by itself, it makes
> the development of effective general configuration programs a real
> possibility. Current configuration format grammars include C, flex and
> Bison, although many others are possible. 
 
Parsely is designed to be able to easily understand new configuration
formats. It generates a parse tree from the configuration files, which
a program such as foo or bar (Linuxconf?) can use to conveniently modify
and store back the values. Parsely is organized to support a wide variety
of languages, scanners, and parsers, and adding support for new ones is
relatively simple.

i might consider putting this paragraph in the middle, since it leads
nicely into the how far along am i paragraph. 
 
> >          Finally, I want to mention that it's cross-language and
> >          cross-scanner, and cross-parser.  This also eludes me.]
> 
>      [I am unclear as to what "cross-scanner" and "cross-parser" mean.]
> 
> > 
> > ***Which details are gratuitous?  [Perhaps the pcre/SPARK/flex/Bison
> >          stuff... but I want people to know it isn't a new parser, but
> >          an interface to all the old parsers.]
> > 
> > ***How can I make the right people want to hack this?

----
 
i should sleep rather than addressing the longer announcement now.
but it looks good overall.

thanks,
--roger