Editing config files in xfce4

[Senandung Mendonan]

Dear list,

How do I edit stuff in ~/.xfce4 and update it on the fly? For example, 
modifying the panel menus in ~/.xfce4/xfce4rc. Coming from afterstep, I 
prefer the vi/script/perl/whatever way of messing with the configs, rather 
than the GUI way. I'm running xfce-4.0.6.

Thanks.

--mendonan
"Yang mimpikan secangkir kopi panas dengan selimut.."
  (Dreaming of a cup of hot coffee, and a blanket..")