No, really, XML is retarded.

http://developer.apple.com/macosx/launchd.html

This way is better because... ???

That said, I don't think that every single program should have it's own psuedo-YAML config syntax. I like YAML, but would prefer that we all standardized on JSON.

The simplest solution is the best

key => "string"

value => "string" | {} | []

dict | map | hash => {}

array | collection => []

ASSIGN => :

This is what I don't like about XML:

It's ambiguous.

Which of the following is most "correct"?

<key>KeyName</key>
<value>Some value</value<
<keyname>Some value</keyname>
<keyname><value>Some value</value></keyname>
<keyname value="Some value"></keyname>
<keyname value="Some value"></keyname>

It encourages error.

It's just more likely that you'll get it wrong in a way that's not apparent at-a-glance.

<keyname>Some value<keyname><

It's ugly. Just look at it. It looks complicated.

It's verbose. Why do you repeat the names of every single key thing

Consider a JSON representation:

{ "key_name" : "Some value" }

Clear.

Concise.

Correct.

Cute.