Re: [PATCΗ] Quoted values in squid.conf

From: Tsantilas Christos <chtsanti_at_users.sourceforge.net>
Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 20:33:11 +0300

On 05/26/2013 07:36 PM, Kinkie wrote:
> On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 7:29 AM, Alex Rousskov
> <rousskov_at_measurement-factory.com> wrote:
>> On 05/25/2013 09:30 PM, Amos Jeffries wrote:
>>> On 24/05/2013 7:38 a.m., Tsantilas Christos wrote:
>>>> This patch :
>>>>
>>>> - adds support for quoted values in the entire squid.conf
>>>>
>>>> - warn about or prohibit values that can no longer be interpreted as
>>>> either quoted strings or simple tokens
>>>>
>>>> - support file:"path/to/file.name" syntax to load external configuration
>>>> files
>>>>
>>>> - support macros in "double quoted" values
>>>>
>>>> - support 'single quoted' values that do not expand macros
>>
>>
>>> Firstly, Design simplicity:
>>>
>>> I do not believe we need to present such a wide range of potential
>>> quoting and escaping mechanisms for squid.conf. We need to pick one
>>> style which will be familiar to our administrators and ignore the other
>>> styles. Double-quoting with \-escaping of " characters for strings is
>>> very well known and the type of encoding most often requested.
>>
>> I do not want to step on Christos' toes, but since I asked him to add
>> support for 'single quoted' strings, I feel obligated to respond to this
>> part of the review.
>>
>> While I agree that reducing the number of mechanisms is an important
>> optimization vector, the remaining mechanisms should be expressive
>> enough to form a convenient configuration language. IMO, preventing all
>> macro expansion in strings using single quotes is useful and common
>> enough (e.g., shell and Perl) to be supported along with double quoted
>> strings. I recommend but do not insist on its inclusion (until we have
>> enough user demand to back me up).
>>
>> Other opinions?
>>> IMO, we should drop the '-quoted string handling from this. It is the
>>> first step on a slipery-slope toward arbitrary quoting styles and "why
>>> not also add {-quoted strings or [-quoted strings?". Those are becoming
>>> equally popular as people become familiar with YAML/SAS/JSON syntax.
>>
>> Single quoted strings were added not because they were popular but
>> because they offer a unique functionality -- string-global suppression
>> of macro expansion. If {-quoted string or [-quoted strings offer
>> something equality useful they should be _considered_.
>
>
> Single- and double- quotes have a well-specified meaning in shell
> scripting and some other languages (e.g. PERL). From your description,
> it seems that this behavior is implemented, so I believe there is
> benefit and no confusion from having both.
>
> The only thing I would like to see differently implemented is the
> syntax used to include files:
> file(path) would be IMO easier to understand and less prone to
> confusion than the proposed syntax.

OK.
But imagine in the future also the following syntax:
file:/path/file
system:/usr/local/squid/bin/my-squid-conf (to read from an executable
stdout configuration options)
http://hostname/cfgfile (to get from web page configuration)

All the above can be implemented in the future...

>
>
> --
> /kinkie
>
Received on Sun May 26 2013 - 17:33:26 MDT

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