XML is a fantastic configuration language. Its primary purpose is text markup, right, but it can really shine as a configuration language too. It is meant to be used as a language, that is to describe structures of unbounded complexity while keeping them syntactically constrained.
The best configuration language is the one that is custom made for a specific application. A domain-specific language. But DSLs requires a parser and adding one is usually too cumbersome to merely parse a configuration. This is where XML comes in.
The best configuration language is the one that is custom made for a specific application. A domain-specific language. But DSLs requires a parser and adding one is usually too cumbersome to merely parse a configuration. This is where XML comes in.