From: Robert <bob.news@...>
Date: 2003-05-01T02:35:42+09:00
Subject: Re: How to undefine a member variable ? (or at least hide it from YAML)


"Simon Vandemoortele" <deliriousREMOVEUPPERCASETEXTTOREPLY@atchoo.be>
schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:0gKra.68148$t_2.6175@afrodite.telenet-ops.be...
> On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 at 07:17 GMT, Robert wrote:
>
> >> However, I'd prefer a solution on YAML level for this problem.  This is
> >> really a 'hack'; I should be able to tell YAML: don't save 'nil' values
> >> please (pretty, with sugar on top).
>
> > That's exactly what I'd prefer, too.  Do you really have performance or
> > space problems because of all those unused fields?
>
> No performance or space problem. Simply a matter of principle: YAML is
> supposed to be user readable and that readability will be greatly
> diminished with useless (empty) entries. Besides; I can't believe YAML
> people have not encountered (and solved ?) this problem yet. In fact, I
> am surprised we haven't had a response by some YAML expert ...

I'm not a YAML expert, but I'd say YAML does what it is supposed to do: it
mirrors current instance state 1:1.  If a variable is nil then it's
something different from being undefined and exactly that is reflected in
the output.

Maybe you can increase user readablility by some YAML option and / or by
inserting newlines as a postprocessing stage?

    robert