[Freeswitch-users] YAML support as an alternative of XML for configuration

[John Skopis (Lists)]

I lol'd. This thread provided much amusement after a long week.

=]

Sorry for not being more constructive myself but can someone drill the 
devs for specific reasons (architectural etc) xml is the best solution 
and wikify the results? If I get a chance I plan on doing exactly that 
if I have some free time this weekend, don't count on it though.

I don't think the point would be to defend the use of XML, rather to 
document it. I know first hand it's easy to overlook the 
power/usefulness in the beginning.

Anthony Minessale wrote:
> Thank you for the suggestion.
> 
> I am open to many suggestions about FreeSWITCH but the minimal way we 
> use XML cannot be undone.
> I am not sure you actually tried FreeSWITCH very much if you think the 
> XML is difficult to work with.
> Almost every config file that uses xml is still just name value pairs 
> with a small <> around it.
> 
> <param name="minimal_xml_usage" value="true"/>
> 
> We actually get yelled at by people for not using it more and saying:
> 
> <maximum_xml_usage>true</maximum_xml_usage>
> 
> What you may be missing is the point of the XML. 
> I suggest you read http://www.freeswitch.org/node/123 for a better 
> explanation and a background.
> 
> Really once you learn how the dynamic XML stuff works you will be glad 
> it exists.
> 
> I did design res_config for Asterisk which is still there today.  Maybe 
> you could get YAML working with
> a res_config_yaml, I'm sure they would appreciate it .
> 
> Whatever you decide, good luck to ya.
> 
> 
> On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 9:14 PM, Diego Viola <diego.viola at gmail.com 
> <mailto:diego.viola at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>     Hi everyone -
> 
>     I really love this project... I love the design you guys took with FS,
>     I love the stability, the features, the openness of it, it's the VoIP
>     platform I always dreamed of it... FreeSWITCH is what Asterisk should
>     have been.
> 
>     But I just don't like one thing: XML.
> 
>     I also don't intend to create a flame war or troll with this thread,
>     please take this as a suggestion of someone that really wants to use
>     FS... XML is the only reason why I still stay with Asterisk, I just
>     can't like XML, and I don't like Asterisk as well, I want FreeSWITCH
>     stability, features, etc, but I can't like XML, not even if I try to,
>     it's too slow to use/write, verbose and complex.
> 
>     As a sysadmin point of view, I prefer parameter=value but I realize
>     the advantages of XML (data serialization, etc), this is also why I
>     don't use mod_dialplan_asterisk, because I think it's time for
>     something better than INI files, but XML isn't for me, I'm a
>     Linux/UNIX guy and I don't want a GUI either, I love CLI, but I want
>     something simple to use, read and write, and I think YAML is the best
>     of the both worlds.
> 
>     I would like to have more than one option to configure FreeSWITCH,
>     also, not everyone likes to do the same thing the same way and it
>     would be really cool if FS gives this freedom to people...
> 
>     I would really like to see YAML as a configuration option in
>     FreeSWITCH, give me this any day and I swear I don't toch Asterisk
>     _ever again_, YAML can be used for data serialization and it's more
>     simple than XML, Ruby projects like Rails uses it.
> 
>     Take a look here:
> 
>     http://yaml.org/spec/1.2/
>     http://yaml.org/
> 
>     "YAML™ (rhymes with "camel") is a human-friendly, cross language,
>     Unicode based data serialization language designed around the common
>     native data types of agile programming languages. It is broadly useful
>     for programming needs ranging from configuration files to Internet
>     messaging to object persistence to data auditing. Together with the
>     Unicode standard for characters, this specification provides all the
>     information necessary to understand YAML Version 1.2 and to create
>     programs that process YAML information. "
> 
>     Please consider it, I'm also willing to pay for a mod_yaml, other than
>     this I really love FreeSWITCH and I think it's great, I will switch in
>     a heartbeat if you guys add support for it ;-)
>