Re: proplib changes

[Jachym Holecek <freza%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

Hello Thor,

# Thor Lancelot Simon 2009-02-26:
> Did anything actually happen about implementing this plist editor?

Not that I'm aware of.

> I find myself with an application that is almost perfect for proplib,
> but I cannot persuade any of the other people involved to accept the
> proplib XML format, even though it will be hardly ever edited by
> end users.
>
> My point of view about the XML format has changed somewhat but it just
> doesn't matter -- I have tried hard to sell it to my coworkers and I
> can't.
> 
> I do not -- DO NOT -- do not want to start another flame war.  But if
> there is not, at this late date, a pledit in NetBSD, and the planned
> existence of the same is (a major reason) why we don't have SCN as
> an externalization in our userspace proplib, is there any chance I
> could resuscitate the SCN code and commit it -- never to be used as
> default -- without being turned into a pillar of salt?  It's too
> intimate with the proplib internals to maintain sanely as a local
> patch.

Please don't commit it.

A possible way ahead for your project could be to rip the SCN encoder
and decoder to separate utilities (the code is mostly independent on
proplib internals, IIRC) and create a pledit script that, given a .plist
would decode it to temporary file, run ${EDITOR} on that, and when done,
encode the result. Well, something along those lines. From what you say,
this could make your users happy while also being easy to maintain
locally.

(I didn't check if there are opensource plist editors, I believe you did
 and found none.)

HTH,
        -- Jachym