[RFC] Method of inheriting configuration values from other keys.

[SadieCat]

I think it would be useful if there was a generic method of inheriting values from other configuration blocks. This is already implemented by various tags already (connect classes, oper classes/types, etc) but it would a lot less duplication if this was available at the parser level. Some ideas for how this could be implemented have been mentioned below.

Normal

<example name="xxx" foo="bar" baz="bax">
<example parent="xxx" foo="fooey">

Points for

• Very easy to read
• Would require almost no parser modifications

Points against

• Could conflict with config key names
• Not obvious what is a 'special' key and what is not

Namespaced Attributes

<example cfg:name="xxx" foo="bar" baz="bax">
<example cfg:parent="xxx" foo="fooey">

Points for

• Would not conflict with 'normal' keys

Points against

• Harder to read
• Would require parser modifications

Namespaced Elements

<cfg:xxx foo="bar" baz="bax">
<example:xxx foo="fooey">

Points for

• Would not conflict with 'normal' keys
• Easier to read than namespaced attributes

Points against

• Still slightly hard to read
• Would require parser modifications

[Techman]

I vote option 1, because I wouldn't want increased complexity, even if slight, because the InspIRCd config itself is already hard to many beginners and we don't need something as simple (or complex, depending on what you do with it) as connect classes being the thing that pushes them away.

01:08:21 AM <+Techman> I like the current system

01:09:05 AM <+Techman> Anything not specified that has a parent="" also in the tag are options that should be inherited imo

[SadieCat]

Draft implementation: SadieCat/inspircd@master+config...SaberUK:master+config2

Usage:

<wibble tag-name="wibbly" name="foo.bar">
<wobble tag-name="wobbly" tag-parent="wibbly">
<server tag-parent="wobbly">

Which is functionally equivalent to:

<server name="foo.bar">