Re: Parsing config files in a directory

Greg Smith <gsmith@gregsmith.com> writes:
> The sketched out design I have for a contrib/pgtune in C presumes that I'd 
> start by refactoring the relevant bits from initdb into a library for both 
> programs to use.  But the initdb code doesn't care about preserving 
> existing values when making changes to them; it just throws in its new 
> settings and moves along.  So what's there already only handles about half 
> the annoying parts most people would expect a tuning tool that reads the 
> existing file and operates on it to do.

> Also, I wouldn't be surprised to find that it chokes on some real-world 
> postgresql.conf files.  The postgresql.conf.sample it's being fed is 
> fairly pristine.

Indeed.  Why in the world are you looking at initdb?  The standard
reference for postgresql.conf-reading code, by definition, is
guc-file.l.  I think the odds of building something that works right,
without borrowing that same flex logic, are about nil.
        regards, tom lane