Re: Defaults

[Alex Perez]

Stefan Urbanek wrote:
> Hi,
>
> As I am moving from one computer to another I am experiencing some
> inconveniences. Is there any reason why is GNUstep defaults database
> hidden file? This prevents normal user with default file-manager
> settings to move his defaults, as they are not visible.
>
> Another thing is: it would be better to store defaults in one file per
> domain - this will allow to copy defaults from one machine to other,
> which is not quite possible now (it is not very easy and not doable by
> standard user).

Others have previously suggested one file per application, which is what 
is done under OS X, AFAICT.

> Also i would suggest to use Preferences, Settings or Configuration
> directory name instead of 'Defaults', but that is not so important.

Well, under OS X, Apple's decided to put the "global" per-user plist in 
~/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist, the GNUstep equivalent 
is almost always ~/Library/Preferences . I think the "Defaults" name is 
a poor naming choice because it is almost universally accepted what 
"Preferences" means within the context of computer programs, but almost 
no-one outside of a few next, apple, and GNUstep-heads know what our 
definition of "defaults" is.

I propose that ~/GNUstep/Defaults be moved to 
~/GNUstep/Library/Preferences. Stefan, based on what you've said, I 
think you'd think this was a good idea, but I don't know how other 
GNUstep core developers feel (besides the below-mentioned Alexander M.)

> What do you say?
I think this is a good idea, and I've suggested it in #GNUstep before 
and Alexander Malmberg immediately opposed the idea. I think his 
reasoning was a technical one that said, essentially, "Preferences is 
the wrong term" which, like so many of Alexm's arguments, while it may 
be technically correct, completely ignores the fact that more people 
know what "Preferences" means than the crappily-named "Defaults".