6 data is water for program, it carries about information for program.
7 there are two type of form to using data, one is block data, like a file, the other is stream data, like a package from serial port or network.
8 anyway, data format is important for data using. the syntax of txt data can be described by lex/gmr, and the format of binary data canbe described by struct(reference the conception in c language).
9 this section contains method to use & store data. there are manay kind of data file, xml, .data(user defined), .db, .ini, .conf, and so on. it's different for purpose.
10 .ini, .conf, .xml, is text based data file, it stored less data, or it is just used for program paramter.
11 .data, .db, is binary data file, and it is used for lots of data storage.
13 for an operating system, it should use some type of data file, for general purpose data storage. in my way, i prefer those type of file:
14 @ imi, it is based on ini with some extention. and it is used for paramter storage like ini. or other purpose of using.
15 @ catalog, it is a serial of text line with tab prefix and catalog-id prefix, to orgnize text as a tree structure. it's used for express tree data struct. but i use it for doc, a humen readable data. eg: config file of menuconfig can use this syntax of file.
16 @ rec/csv, it's matrix data expression, to store table struct data record. it can be used for less data storage.
17 @ xml, it',s a general and popular syntax of data storage.
18 @ db, the data file of sqlite program. it's light weight for data storage, and can be applicationed in general programs.
19 @ md, it's the general syntax for readme in soft-pkg.
20 @ lex & gmr & txtfmt, is a program set to describe unkown text based syntax.
21 @ type & var & hexfmt, is a program set to describe unkown binary based format.
23 why use those type of file,
24 @ the syntax of those file is text based, especially in humen readable syntax, that's easy to use and read.
25 @ txtfmt and hexfmt is text and binary general format dispatch program. it is usefull for file format extension.
26 @ file defined in /etc like .conf, does not have a format and correspondding program/lib for general urpose. different program use different syntax. here, those file format can be used for most of application program, for less data storage or paramter. program can use it's own data format too.