Re: [boost] Library for configuration file parsing

Subject: Re: [boost] Library for configuration file parsing
From: Michael Caisse (boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-12-03 21:34:20

On 12/02/2010 07:15 AM, Denis Shevchenko wrote:
> On 02.12.2010 17:58, Hartmut Kaiser wrote:
>> All of your stated goals could be achieved by using Spirit underneath 
>> as the
>> parser engine for your config file format, no?
>>
>> Regards Hartmut
> Strictly speaking, yes.
>
> Be honest, I did not use Spirit because (imho) it's difficult-to-study 
> library. I may be wrong, but I was easier to write own parser engine 
> using Boost.String algo, Boost.Regex and std::algorithm (the more so 
> becausethe complexity of parsing there is not so high).
>
> - Denis
> _______________________________________________

I'm surprised (shocked) at the number of people who initially respond 
with this point-of-view. I can only assume that it is the difficulty of 
"seeing" BNF looking statements in C++. It must be the fact that it is a 
DSEL and people just don't think that could be possible so it looks 
foreign and they stop at that.

Surely it isn't reading BNF or some other well described grammar format 
that is causing problems. If that is it ... then there is a more serious 
problem that a library isn't going to fix.

Spirit itself (Qi and Karma) are quite simple and in my experience 
helping people on IRC, within a couple hours most are able to solve 
simple problems and by the end of a couple days they are proficient and 
prolific. The documentation for Spirit is excellent and in my opinion, 
some of the best in all of Boost. For additional docs, have a look at my 
boostcon slides and video.

slides: <http://www.objectmodelingdesigns.com/boostcon10/>
video: <http://blip.tv/file/4143337 >

It would be helpful if you can be more specific about what causes 
difficulty for you. We are constantly trying to improve the 
documentation and tutorials to make them more accessible. You will see 
within the first couple slides in my presentation that I condemn ad-hoc 
parsers thrown together using string, regex, algorithm and the like 
simply because the implementor thinks the parsing task is "simple". 
Spirit allows you to write simple parsers in-line with a syntax that is 
easy to understand and maintain.

There seems to be an attitude within our profession in general that 
writing ugly code because the task at hand isn't too complex makes it 
ok. I have a tendency to disagree.

michael

-- 
Michael Caisse
Object Modeling Designs
www.objectmodelingdesigns.com