[Freeipa-devel] Data source-agnostic parameters

[Simo Sorce]

On Mon, 2012-08-06 at 10:55 +0200, Jan Cholasta wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> while thinking about <https://fedorahosted.org/freeipa/ticket/2933>, I 
> had an idea how to make loading data from files available for all 
> parameters:
> 
> I think we can use URI-like strings in parameter values that the CLI 
> would interpret and extract the wanted information from them (similar to 
> what openssl does in the -pass command line option, see PASS PHRASE 
> ARGUMENTS in openssl(1)).
> 
> So, instead of adding a new parameter as a file-accepting alternative to 
> any existing parameter (i.e. what is suggested in the ticket), the user 
> would be able to specify the file in a URI-like string:
> 
> (use new parameter --sshpubkeyfile)
> $ ipa user-mod --sshpubkey="ssh-rsa AAAA ..."
> $ ipa user-mod --sshpubkeyfile=.ssh/id_rsa.pub
> 
> vs.
> 
> (use file URI-like string)
> $ ipa user-mod --sshpubkey="ssh-rsa AAAA ..."
> $ ipa user-mod --sshpubkey=file:.ssh/id_rsa.pub
> 
> and the CLI would take care of reading the file and using its contents 
> as the parameter value.
> 
> This could be extended with additional URI(-like) schemes:
> 
>    - data:<data> - use <data> as the value (useful for escaping values 
> that look like URIs, but you don't want them to be treated as such)
>    - base64:<data> - use the value of base64 decoded <data> (useful for 
> --delattr on ugly raw binary values)
>    - fd:<num> - read value from file descriptor <num>
>    - env:<var> - read value from environment variable <var>
>    - ask: - always prompt interactively for the value
>    - default: - use default value, never prompt interactively
> 
> Thoughts?

How do you handle values that are actually URI strings, how do you tell
the command to not interpret them ?

Simo.

-- 
Simo Sorce * Red Hat, Inc * New York