# Configuration file parser like Config::General for perl **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 4, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configuration-file-parser-like-config-general-for-perl/113772 "2007-09-04T20:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Tammo_T)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configuration-file-parser-like-config-general-for-perl/113772/1 "2007-09-04T20:35:44Z")
Hello, I have the problem, that in a project I am working in the configuration files are in a apache config file like format. This is a mixture of XML-Format and normal config format like name example use “for test” The normal used language is perl, where the format, with some extensions, is supported by the Config::General Package. Is the something similar existing for Ruby? I have already searched in rubyforge, but I could not find something fitting. Somehow xmldigest or digestr seems partly to fit, but I am unsure if they support the whole range of the config-file. Or are there some settings existing for the xml-libraries like rexml to support this uncomliant kind of XML? Best regards, Tammo ---
**Author:** ![Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Tammo_T)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configuration-file-parser-like-config-general-for-perl/113772/2 "2007-09-04T20:57:50Z")
On Sep 4, 11:35 am, Tammo T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > supported by the Config::General Package. > Is the something similar existing for Ruby? I have already searched in > rubyforge, but I could not find something fitting. Somehow xmldigest or > digestr seems partly to fit, but I am unsure if they support the whole > range of the config-file. Or are there some settings existing for the > xml-libraries like rexml to support this uncomliant kind of XML? I know nothing of the sort. However, if should be pretty easy to use REXML to loop through the XML elements and apply a parser to each sections text. T. ---
**Author:** ![Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Tammo_T)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configuration-file-parser-like-config-general-for-perl/113772/3 "2007-09-04T22:06:24Z")
Trans wrote: > > > > REXML to loop through the XML elements and apply a parser to each > sections text. > > T. ## Thanks for your answer. But I am not sure if that works without workaround. The Problem is, that the apache config file format allowas also things like: version 1.0 root “not existing” driver X11 name test perl 5.8.2 ruby 1.8.6 * * * I should mention that this is a meaningless example. The important point is, that you do not have proper xpaths and root-nodes. I have tried it once with rexml and it was somehow complaining (I have to look, but it was something with a line in rexml with \<\<) What I can try is to surround it by a master-node before read-in but that is a hack and I am not sure if it will work. Anyway I will try. Regards, Tammo ---
**Author:** ![Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tammo\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Tammo_T)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/configuration-file-parser-like-config-general-for-perl/113772/4 "2007-09-05T12:41:01Z")
On Sep 4, 1:21 pm, Tammo T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > > > > > REXML to loop through the XML elements and apply a parser to each > > * * * > > I should mention that this is a meaningless example. The important point is, > that you do not have proper xpaths and root-nodes. I have tried it once > with rexml and it was somehow complaining (I have to look, but it was > something with a line in rexml with \<\<) > > What I can try is to surround it by a master-node before read-in but that is > a hack and I am not sure if it will work. Anyway I will try. If they are only using Xml to do dead simple … braketing, then you could write a parser for that too. As long as there is no nesting of identically named nodes, it is very simple parsing and Regexp’s can be used to do it. Just a thought. T.