Comment by Matthew Cory on "Do you prefer configuring things through YAML or interface?"

CommentDo you prefer configuring things through YAML or interface?

Matthew Cory

Tagline not found.

Mar 20, 2019

I'd have to go with file over a GUI, although if the GUI is well done it'd make things a lot easier.

I'll likely end up as the first person to get slapped through the internet for this, but I actually miss XML-based configuration compared to YAML. If it's well designed, and has a well-written XSD file, and you have your IDE setup right, you get good insight into what you're configuring. Granted, I rarely had those all line up right, but when it did it was amazing. Now I'm fighting YAML config for Spring Boot apps, trying to figure out what I'm doing as I go along, and not having the best of luck trying to sort through the docs. (That's probably mostly on me - not a slight on Pivotal; they've got decent docs in place.)

Mike Schinkel

GoLang Engineer &CICD DevOps

Mar 24, 2019

This is me reaching through the Internet to slap you! :-D

I have been in tech/development for decades and when JSON arrived on the scene I could not wait for XML (and godforbid SOAP) to die the unnatural death intended for it and all its progeny. I can remember too many debates trying to get vendors to offer JSON to simplify usage and consumption, but most of my pleas simply fell on deaf ears.

XML was a pox on computing IMO. Thankfully it is slowly descending into the dustbin of history. (I am anxiously awaiting Apple to get rid of .plist files, though that may never happen...)

P.S. Sorry, couldn't help but call your child ugly. You did leave the door wide open for it, though. :-)

Ha - no worries, I'm perfectly aware it's an unpopular opinion. And in general I'll agree with you - there's no added benefit using XML in most realistic cases, so you may as well go with something like JSON or YAML.

Search Hashnode