Re: [cvs.lp.se #14] [PATCH] Multi-entry lists, configuration check mode

From: Matthew D. Fuller (fullermd@over-yonder.net)
Date: Fri Feb 21 2003 - 18:58:38 CET


On Fri, Feb 21, 2003 at 05:41:03PM +0100 I heard the voice of
Richard Levitte - VMS Whacker, and lo! it spake thus:
>
> I'm still dubious about this. The reason is that I see it like "a
> string is a string is a string and nothing but a string". From a
> user's point of view, I'd find it rather confusing if some strings
> didn't behave like strings do elsewhere.

That's a valid point, which gave me a little pause writing it. OTOH,
comma-seperated lists are a common paradigm (I hate that word, sometimes)
even in such illogical languages as English. I figured that it was
sufficiently clear (even without the manpage update) that it wouldn't
confuse anyone. Now:

> But really, if we're to introduce regexps, they should come with a
> different syntax, for example with / as delimiter instead of " (now
> we're etting Perly!):
>
> /^(foo|bar)$/ "\1value"

I don't want regexp's; I just want all my web browsers on one icon
manager! 8-)

It's an interesting way to go, though... Something like this:

IconManagers
{
    "xterm" "+0+0" 1
    (Netscape,Mozilla) "-0+52" 1
}

The reason I suggested "(Netscape,Mozilla)" instead is that the "'s will
force (as I understand it) yacc to treat it as a single string, even if
there's spaces in it. That lets us get away with not messing with the
yacc file for this, which is a Good Thing for my fragile little mind.

Doing it seperate like this means, for one thing, we'd have to muck with
the gram.y file a fair bit. We'd also, I think, almost have to write a
different AllocateIconManager() function, with manual list parsing? The
advantage of just adding the comma-seperated like I did is that we can
practically get multi-item lists everywhere for free.

-- 
Matthew Fuller     (MF4839)   |  fullermd@over-yonder.net
Systems/Network Administrator |  http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd/

"The only reason I'm burning my candle at both ends, is because I haven't figured out how to light the middle yet"



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