data design

[Larry Bates]

Imbaud Pierre wrote:
> Larry Bates a écrit :
>> Imbaud Pierre wrote:
>>
>>> The applications I write are made of, lets say, algorithms and data.
>>> I mean constant data, dicts, tables, etc: to keep algorithms simple,
>>> describe what is peculiar, data dependent, as data rather than "case
>>> statements". These could be called configuration data.
>>>
>>> The lazy way to do this: have modules that initialize bunches of
>>> objects, attributes holding the data: the object is somehow the row of
>>> the "table", attribute names being the column. This is the way I
>>> proceeded up to now.
>>> Data input this way are almost "configuration data", with 2 big
>>> drawbacks:
>>> - Only a python programmer can fix the file: this cant be called a
>>>   configuration file.
>>> - Even for the author, these data aint easy to maintain.
>>>
>>> I feel pretty much ready to change this:
>>> - make these data true text data, easier to read and fix.
>>> - write the module that will make python objects out of these data:
>>> the extra cost should yield ease of use.
>>>
>>> 2 questions arise:
>>> - which kind of text data?
>>>    - csv: ok for simple attributes, not easy for lists or complex
>>>    data.
>>>    - xml: the form wont be easier to read than python code,
>>>      but an xml editor could be used, and a formal description
>>>      of what is expected can be used.
>>> - how can I make the data-to-object transformation both easy, and able
>>>  to spot errors in text data?
>>>
>>> Last, but not least: is there a python lib implementing at least part
>>> of this dream?
>>
>>
>> Use the configurations module.  It was built to provide a way to parse
>> configuration files that provide configuration data to program.  It is
>> VERY fast so the overhead to parse even thousands of lines of config
>> data is extremely small.  I use it a LOT and it is very flexible and
>> the format of the files is easy for users/programmers to work with.
>>
>> -Larry Bates
> U mean configParser? Otherwise be more specific (if U dont mind...)

Sorry, yes I meant configParser module.  Had a little "brain disconnect"
there.

-Larry