[tor-bugs] #32823 [Core Tor/Tor]: support Android SharedPreferences xml as a torrc format

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#32823: support Android SharedPreferences xml as a torrc format
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
 Reporter:  eighthave                            |          Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement                          |         Status:  new
 Priority:  Medium                               |      Milestone:  Tor:
                                                 |  unspecified
Component:  Core Tor/Tor                         |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                               |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  Android, xml, tbb-mobile, torrc,     |  Actual Points:
  sharedpreferences                              |
Parent ID:                                       |         Points:
 Reviewer:                                       |        Sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------

Comment (by eighthave):

 I agree there should be a canonical config data format, but not
 necessarily the file format.  My guess is that the existing configuration
 options can already be treated as a data model, then treat the formats as
 just representations of that data model.  This data model is also what
 already exists in Tor's C code.  E.g. like how its easy to convert data
 files between YAML, JSON, and TOML.  Hugo (written in Go) and Jekyll
 (written in Ruby) can use YAML/JSON/TOML interchangeably for data/config
 files.  Then the data model is the canonical format, and the file formats
 are just containers for that.  At the highest level, there is key/value
 pairs `RunAsDaemon`/boolean, `DNSPort`/int+string, `Bridges`/string.  This
 will be a little trickier, since we're talking XML and ''torrc'', but
 unless I've overlooked something in the ''torrc'' format, it seems that
 the data model is already simple enough to map cleanly.
 `SharedPreferences` XML already gives us a format with the basic data
 formats that are needed.  As a side note, this would make it easy to also
 use TOML/YAML/JSON as needed.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/32823#comment:5>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online