[Zope3-dev] Re: RFC: Use ConfigParser for High-Level Configuration

[Philipp von Weitershausen]

Jim Fulton wrote:
>   http://dev.zope.org/Zope3/UseConfigParserForHighLevelConfiguration
> 
> Is a proposal for using ConfigParser, rather than ZConfig for high-level
> configuration.

+0

I see the advantages of using ConfigParser, especially being able to
configure more than one instance in an .ini file as well as the
interoperability with other software that uses them (e.g. paste.deploy).
 At least the first point, however, doesn't require us to ditch ZConfig.
As you mention, a possible solution is to fix ZConfig's shortcomings
with respect to the centralized schema definition and the push-vs.-pull
issue.

Looking at your examples (especially the long one), I find the ZConfig
version much easier to read. Perhaps the .ini format could be compressed
more. It seems like one has to create a new section for every little
detail (but then again, you have to create a "tag" for every little in
detail in the ZConfig version too).

How about an .ini file like this:

    [DEFAULT]
    INSTANCE = /home/jim/sample_instance
    CONFDIR = %(INSTANCE)s/etc
    DATADIR = %(INSTANCE)s/var
    LOGDIR = %(INSTANCE)s/log

    [zope]
    site-definition = %(INSTANCE)s/etc/site.zcml
    interrupt-check-interval = 200
    devmode = off

    server = zope/server
    zodb = zope/zodb
    accesslog = zope/accesslog
    eventlog = zope/eventlog

    [zope/server]
    server0/name = http0
    server0/type = HTTP
    server0/address = 8080

    server1/name = http1
    server1/type = HTTP
    server1/address = 8081

    server2/type = PostmortemDebuggingHTTP
    server/2address = 8082

    [zope/zodb]
    zodb0/name = main
    zodb0/type = filestorage
    zodb0/path = %(DATADIR)s/Data.fs

    zodb1/name = a
    zodb1/type = filestorage
    zodb1/path = %(DATADIR)s/A.fs

    # example added by philiKON
    zodb2/name = b
    zodb2/type = directorystorage
    zodb2/path = %(DATADIR)s/dirstorage
    zodb2/readonly = off

    [zope/accesslog]
    log0/path = %(LOGDIR)s/access.log
    log1/path = STDOUT

    [zope/eventlog]
    log0/path = %(LOGDIR)s/z3.log
    log0/formatter = zope.exceptions.log.Formatter
    log1/path = STDOUT
    log1/formatter = zope.exceptions.log.Formatter

Basically, an instance section (e.g. [zope]) would only refer to four
other sections (server, zodb, accesslog, eventlog) which would not refer
to more subsections. Instead they use more complex keys. Of course, the
resulting data structures would no longer be compatible with ZConfig.
3rd party code like DirStorage (example added above) would have to be
adjusted. This could create a lot of BBB pain.

Anyways, just some ideas. I'm fairly neutral on the overall idea.

Philipp