On 6/17/07, Martin Husemann <martin@duskware.de> wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 17, 2007 at 10:47:53AM -0400, Jared D. McNeill wrote:
> >               <key>userconf</key>
> >               <array>
> >                       <string>disable acpi</string>
> >                       <string>disable isapnp</string>
> >                       <string>disable mca</string>
> >                       <string>disable eisa</string>
> >                       <string>disable pcmcia</string>
> >               </array>
>
> What is the point of encoding anything but instructions that you could give
> to userconf at the prompt in this file?
>
> (Note: this is not about plist format, I would like to understand why you
> put three levels of wrappers [array,dict,xml] around a linear list of
> input data)
>
> i.e: why is the above not a simple file like:
>
> --8<--
> disable acpi
> disable isapnp
> disable mca
> disable eisa
> disable pcmcia
> -->8--
>
> Please explain, I realy don't understand the idea behind it.
>


Personally, I think the idea of using xml for this sort of thing is a
lot nicer (and certainly more modern) than attempting to fit
everything into more "flat" formats.  Let's say, for example, that you
wanted to set some device-specific options:

<key>userconf</key>
  <pciopts>
    <device>sip0</device>
      <array>
          <string>disable halfduplex</string>
      </array>
  </pciopts>

I feel is better than the solaris /etc/system style.  (which seems to
be more of what you're pushing for)