Why the new appconfig does not support multiple config files?

[Manuele Pesenti]

I started to study this nice new feature introduced in R-2.10 versions... appconfig
I noticed that it's based on SafeConfigParser from the standard python library configparser[1].

I noticed that the read[2] method support multiple files to be passed but the method read_config_ini[3]
does not use this useful feature that could be easily simulated for the json config files with a loop.

If you think it's useful (as I think) I can propose a quite easy patch. What do you think?

Thanks a lot
    Manuele

[1] https://docs.python.org/2/library/configparser.html
[2] https://docs.python.org/2/library/configparser.html#ConfigParser.RawConfigParser.read
[3] https://github.com/web2py/web2py/blob/master/gluon/contrib/appconfig.py#L105

[Niphlod]

how would you merge two files with the same configuration in it ?

[Manuele Pesenti]

Il 14/04/15 12:25, Niphlod ha scritto:

> how would you merge two files with the same configuration in it ?

well... this is how I patched the appconfig file and loaded from modules
folder of an app:

https://gist.github.com/manuelep/425f0c8a9de6294ad56f

I don't think it has been tested enough :) but is exactly what I thought...

Manuele

[Niphlod]

this opens up intricacies... the order of loaded files changes how values are eventually overwritten.........
And for take() to have a default defeats the purpose of rapid-failing in case a configuration is missing.

[Manuele Pesenti]

Il 14/04/15 21:11, Niphlod ha scritto:

> this opens up intricacies... the order of loaded files changes how
> values are eventually overwritten.........
> And for take() to have a default defeats the purpose of rapid-failing
> in case a configuration is missing.

uhm I think I don't understand... can you point me to the defects you
see please?

the order followed depends on the list you pass to the function
AppConfig after a first try to read a default file thet can not exists.

thanks

Manuele

[Niphlod]

I fear that it'd become something far from the "dead-simple configuration for non-python people" originally thought.
Given your app loading files a,b,c , the non-python person could open file "a", change the "foo" value and see no effects because in "c" there's "foo" too, and that's the one prevailing.

The other argument "against" your snippet is not failing when a configuration value is missing: such need can be accomplished by app code and isn't in the realm of supplying a fast-and-simple way to provide configuration values.

[Manuele Pesenti]

Il 14/04/15 21:47, Niphlod ha scritto:

I fear that it'd become something far from the "dead-simple configuration for non-python people" originally thought.
Given your app loading files a,b,c , the non-python person could open file "a", change the "foo" value and see no effects because in "c" there's "foo" too, and that's the one prevailing.

The other argument "against" your snippet is not failing when a configuration value is missing: such need can be accomplished by app code and isn't in the realm of supplying a fast-and-simple way to provide configuration values.

ok I got it. Good point.

Thank you Niphlod