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PropertyList XML files: Difference between revisions
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courtesy of David Megginson (11 years ago): http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@flightgear.org/msg10798.html
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m (courtesy of David Megginson (11 years ago): http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear-devel@flightgear.org/msg10798.html) |
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Most configuration files in FlightGear are XML-encoded property lists. PropertyList-encoded XML files use a subset of XML to map the property tree to XML space and vice versa. PropertyList-XML files are the main mechanism to populate the FlightGear property tree (or a sub branch of it) from XML files, but also to serialize (save) property tree/branch state to an XML file. XML attributes are mainly used as meta-directives for the property tree. | Most configuration files in FlightGear are XML-encoded property lists. PropertyList-encoded XML files use a subset of XML to map the property tree to XML space and vice versa. PropertyList-XML files are the main mechanism to populate the FlightGear property tree (or a sub branch of it) from XML files, but also to serialize (save) property tree/branch state to an XML file. XML attributes are mainly used as meta-directives for the property tree. | ||
Not everything that is read from an XML file resides in the main property tree; some subsystems also use XML files for initial configuration information. There are different kinds of data. The property tree is meant to represent the shared state of the program; when a subsystem happens to use an XML file to set up its internal state -- information that is of no use to the rest of the program and that cannot be changed without a reinit. Temporary trees are usually deleted as soon as the subsystem is set up (i.e. they exist for perhaps 0.1 sec). We could just as easily use another format for internal initialization, but since the XML support is already available, it was the easiest route. | |||
To work with PropertyList-XML files, you can use various means, such as: | To work with PropertyList-XML files, you can use various means, such as: | ||