From: "David A. Black" <dblack@...>
Date: 2003-11-29T09:14:44+09:00
Subject: Re: Need library for parsing configuration files

Hi --

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003, Josef 'Jupp' SCHUGT wrote:

> Personally I prefer Ruby files to use other Ruby files as their
> configuration files. To give an example of a config file:
> 
> Conf = {
>         'stars'       =>  true,
>         'host'        => 'localhost',
[...]
>         'logfile'     => '/home/jupp/popclient-log',
> }
> 
> Actually in use, I only did change value of Conf['pass']. Parsing is
> then done in this way:
> 
> def initialize(rcfile)
>   rcfile = Default_rcfile if rcfile.nil?
>   @rcfile = rcfile
>   return unless file_okay?(rcfile, true)
>   begin
>     eval File.new(rcfile).read
>   rescue ScriptError=>e
>     warn("An error occurred while reading #{rcfile}: ", e)
>   else
>     @stars            = Conf['stars']
>     @apop             = Conf['apop']
[...]
>     @deliver          = Conf['deliver']
>     @filerules        = Conf['filerules']

You could save some space in Ruby 1.8.0 with:

   Conf.each {|k,v| instance_variable_set("@#{k}",v)}

although obviously that doesn't check the keys very carefully.... but
you could also do:

  keys = %w{ stars apop host .... }
  keys.each {|k| instance_variable_set("@#{k}", Conf[k])}

just to avoid typing the same words so many times :-)

I'm also wondering about just putting

   @stars = true
   @host  = 'localhost'

in your config file.  Are you avoiding that because you use Conf
later?  Or is there a security issue?


David

-- 
David A. Black
dblack@wobblini.net