Re: DefineInGroup

[Alexander Mattausch]

Andrew Stribblehill schrieb:

> Quoting Mark Burgess <mark@iu.hio.no> (2003-02-26 08:43:24 GMT):
>  
>
> > This sounds like a nice idea, but I need to look over this patch
> > carefully...soon.
> >    
>
> I was more concerned about the possibility that this extra feature
> may in some way break convergence. I don't _think_ it does, but I
> have a nagging doubt.
Well, it increases the flexibility enormously, but can also make 
editfile-scripts much more complex and dangerous, if you do things like 
this (provided, the defined class becomes active immediately):

{ /etc/something
  BeginGroupIf...
     some commands
     DefineInGroup "changed_A"
  EndGroup
  BeginGroupIfDefined "changed_A"
    more commands
  EndGroup
}

It allows you to conditionally edit a file. Of course, you are able to 
program it in a way so that the file is always edited (this breaks the 
convergence criterion), but you were also able to do so with subsequent 
copy and editfiles statements. I think this should lie in the 
responsibility of the admin, since it provides new and very powerful 
editing possibilities.

Regards,
Alex