Shorewall users - Nov 2002 - Config file format

Hi there,

just wondering about the config file format. While the current format
can be edited very easily with a text editor of everyones personal
choice I personally would prefer something more structured like XML.
That way it would be rather easy to build GUI''s or helpers around it as
changes to syntax won''t break anything as it is easy to simply ignore
unknown tags.

Axel Westerhold
Congos Inc.
Dev. Lead

--On Thursday, November 14, 2002 10:44:24 PM +0100 "Axel@congos.net" 
<Axel@congos.net> wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> just wondering about the config file format. While the current format
> can be edited very easily with a text editor of everyones personal
> choice I personally would prefer something more structured like XML.
> That way it would be rather easy to build GUI''s or helpers around
it as
> changes to syntax won''t break anything as it is easy to simply
ignore
> unknown tags.
>
A sizable percentage of Shorewall users run Bering (router/firewall on a 
single floppy) so it follows that one of the principle design goals for 
Shorewall has always been to minimize the number of libraries and other 
tools necessary to use the product. The current configuration file format 
supports that goal as does the choice of programming language.

If and when I design Shorewall 2, I may decide to drop Bering support -- if 
I do make that choice, I will then be free to use a lot of tools such as 
XML that I''m unable to use in the current product.

-Tom
--
Tom Eastep    \ Shorewall - iptables made easy
AIM: tmeastep  \ http://shorewall.sf.net
ICQ: #60745924  \ teastep@shorewall.net