xfconf VS libxfce4util Resource Config Files for configuration

[Jannis Pohlmann]

On Sat, 30 Apr 2016 11:56:17 +0100
OmegaPhil <OmegaPhil at startmail.com> wrote:

> Does anyone here have serious usage of xfconf, and can bring up good
> reasons for using it over a normal configuration file?

1) A convenient high-level API to typed, hierarchical, namespaced
   configuration settings. An API that is well integrated with the
   toolkit in use (GTK).

2) Synchronization of settings across multiple processes using a
   standard (D-Bus / library) API.

3) The ability to write external scripts to update all kinds of
   desktop/app settings at runtime and have them applied in the affected
   processes with little extra work.

I have read the word "bloat" all over this thread. Yes, of course
the above is more complex than reading .ini files. But seriously,
gconf, dconf, xfconf, GSettings (plus similar technologies in KDE etc.)
are all based around the same concepts, they've been around for a long
time and exist for good reasons. By slapping the phrase "bloat" onto
the ideas, you're making it too easy for yourself and risk ignoring
more than a decade of thoughts that have gone into desktop
environments. I'd advise against that.

At the very least please make an effort to do a serious "bloat" and
tradeoff analysis before you throw phrases like that around.

Cheers ;)

  - Jannis
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