Re: [boost] Boost.Dynamic Config

Subject: Re: [boost] Boost.Dynamic Config
From: Stewart, Robert (Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-02-14 16:17:22

Dan Weber wrote:
>
> I feel as part of the Boost community and having worked on multiple
> platforms that we're missing something to manage reading/writing
> configuration information for an application thread safely across
> platforms.  The best example I know of that handles this job is Qt's
> QSettings which writes to the registry on windows, inis on
> linux, and some sort of xml on Mac OS X.

The idea is interesting, but there are a great many features such a mechanism could include beyond those you've mentioned, though they may not work so well for the various backends.

For example, when processing configuration files, you could support include directives or conditional processing.  You could support reusable values; IOW, permit reusing a given value in defining the value of various other entries.

What about the ability to filter which entries apply?  In, again, a configuration file, there could be key elements that identify the application or instance to which they apply.  Then, based upon runtime values, entries with those extra key parts would be filtered if they don't match.  (Another approach is to require wildcards so all keys have the same structure.)

There are various configuration formats that support data structures like dictionaries, lists, etc.  These are highly useful for capturing come configuration information.  Without direct support, one must create ad hoc string formats that must be parsed by each application requiring them.

Why do you want to update the configuration store at runtime?  What are the use cases for that behavior?

What do you mean by thread safety?  Do you anticipate much MT demand for updating configuration information that the application couldn't just synchronize updates rather than embedding that behavior in the configuration class(es)?

_____
Rob Stewart                           robert.stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer, Core Software      using std::disclaimer;
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  http://www.sig.com

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