[xmonad] YAML x config. files

[Roy Lanek]

Hi,

Why not to use YAML, YAML Ain't a Markup Language, with XMonad's configuration
files? ... Don't faint, there is no need to use full blown YAML.

It could even be added *transparently*, i.e., as a separate program generating
Haskell output.

Why?, because YAML's format is _truly_ human-readable (and concise), there is
no Lua or whatever that can be better. And, in our context (reduced/subset
YAML), a snap to learn and grasp.

I am using myself my 'cqac' program written in Perl (celerius quam asparagi
cocuntur, more swiftly than asparagus is cooked, a favorite expression of
Augustus to say that something was done quickly), which is an implementation
and extension of the Blackbox window manager original menu (nop's inclusive).
'cqac' uses X::Osd (Perl extension to the X On Screen Display library, xosd),
no mouse, YAML::Tiny, and, unfortunately, X11::Protocol ... from the latter
I need exclusively Grab- and UngrabKeyboard, hence I am thinking to put the
original X11::Protocol on *diet*, and skim unnecessary fat away.

Anyway, 'cqac', which at present still uses YAML::Tiny in-line, i.e., still
reads its '.yml'-configuration file on the flight, and uses the original,
jumbo-sized X11::Protocol is reasonably fast (on a okay/acceptable/no-ancient
notebook) ... in Perl!, and with a no-toy cqac.yml. (Well, for that I also
have nicknamed it like I have.)

There is nothing more annoying than to being obliged to pass from the stage
of *inheriting* default setups or monkeying setups from guru X, master Y,
and wizard Z, *merging* and *pruning* a' la trial and error m more or less
mysterious configuration files until one learns to read--and write--Haskell,
Lua, whatever. (No, in ten minutes reading and studying one learns what there
is to know to use YAML::Tiny's format, just in case; quicker than memorizing
all the meta chars to use a given window manager. Better still: one doesn't
need to *restudy* Haskell, Lua, whatever if, after m months, he decides to
modify the configuration file ... _and_ he doesn't use Haskell, Lua, whatever
n hours a day.)

Cheers,

/Roy Lanek (West Sumatra)

P.S.

cqac ... I have used--not longer--Ion: never have liked its *application
launcher*, worse, I am not a fan of Lua (though I may understand that it's
cute); never have used Ion's status bar, by the way ... a dumb (notebook)
idea.

Ditto for dwm's dmenu.

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