[Haskell-cafe] Standard package file format

[Imants Cekusins]

> Why not have .cabal files be the standard model, and anyone can write
tools on top to translate to/from .cabal if users really want to use
something else?
​
.cabal file is representation rather than a model. It is parsed to model.
Being a distinct file type with its own AST, it needs quite a bit of
attention. It  needs to be parsed, updated, validated, formatted.

Another config format emerged. More problems (distinct file type etc). More
formats may follow.

Is there hope to agree on common format (as per thread title), if common
content can not be agreed on? Isn't config first of all about content? Is
the common format going to contain incompatible / conflicting data items?

With common content, display format will not matter at all, neither will
package tool nor IDE used to work on a project.

Config being a Haskell type, it would be well formed. The options would be
well known.

Users and IDE devs will not need to worry about indenting, commas, line
breaks and other *goodies*.
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