[Opensim-dev] Ini file(s) loading

[Melanie]

Built-in settings were pretty much abolished because it was found 
that it's not possible/feasible to keep them sane.
I think that using an additional OpenSim.ini file is not too steep a 
learning curve, and that we should not design to the lowest denominator.

A config override hierarchy is, IMHO, just the ticket. Soon as I 
find some time in the chaos of moving house, I wanted to change all 
three options to accept either a single file, a directory, or a URI. 
That provides the greatest flexibility and would allow them to copy 
config/*.ini to local/*.ini, or somesuch, and edit them there.

Melanie

Justin Clark-Casey wrote:
> Jeff Ames wrote:
>> One nice thing about merge conflicts is that it tells you right away
>> if a variable you've changed has been modified (e.g., the variable
>> name changed), so you can correct it immediately instead of wondering
>> why feature X isn't working any more.  But I guess there'd be a lot of
>> false alarms, if comments near the variable or the variable's default
>> value change in SVN.
> 
> Yeah, it's a nice idea but I think those false alarms are the problem.  The first time that a conflict happens the 
> user's installation will probably stop working due to conflict markers in the .ini file.  I have to predict that people 
> will change these .ini files directly without reading documentation first.
> 
> Another solution I would propose is to name these files *.ini.example in SVN (or *.ini-dist a la PHP) and go back to 
> using built-in defaults that match these files.  I know this goes against what I said before about duplicating settings, 
> but I couldn't think up a good solution that uses live .ini files and meets my particular concerns.  If a user wants to 
> override the built in defaults then they copy *.ini.dist to *.ini or add to OpenSim.ini.
> 
> At least this way, sophisticated grid operators tracking SVN might be happy since they no longer need to merge *.ini 
> files.  And individual users using OpenSim in standalone or hypergrid modes will also be happy since it will be clear 
> how to override built-in defaults and they won't suffer merge conflicts if they are tracking SVN.  I still think that 
> overriding settings only through OpenSim.ini is too complicated compared to a simple copy and edit that keeps the 
> setting in a single place.
> 
> This solution would require that we have more discipline than before in keeping *.ini.dist files aligned with built-in 
> settings.
> 
>> 
>> One final idea: instead of config/*.ini.example as I originally
>> suggested, have a config/ directory (empty) and config.example/*.ini.
>> Then users can copy config.example/foo.ini to config/foo.ini and make
>> changes there.  Essentially the same idea, but copying files instead
>> of renaming them.  Just trying to avoid having to have users keep
>> their modifications in a monolithic .ini file.
>> 
> 
>> Jeff
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> 
>