Quite often people use .json files for storing configuration. Having a reference to json module from chapter "14. File Formats" would be a good pointer for those looking to .ini alternatives.

Specific suggested text and location for doc changes are more likely to get action.

"File Formats is chapter 13 in 3.x. The only text now is "The modules described in this chapter parse various miscellaneous file formats that aren’t markup languages or are related to e-mail."

PATCH 1: I am quite sure that 'or are related to e-mail' should be replaced by 'and are not related to email'.

In any case, this is not the place to add a specific comment about json. Perhaps you meant that in 13.2. configparser — Configuration file parser, the following could be added to the end of the first paragraph.

PATCH 2: "The json module is also used for this purpose."

1: Agreed. Alternate short formulation: “nor related to email”.

2: Agreed with Anatoly. json should be linked from the File Formats
section, since it’s a file format unrelated to [SGML] markup languages
or email, and it’s used for a variety of purposes, not only config files.

1: Agreed.

2: Would use wording like: "The json module can also be used for this purpose." Can be used does not imply that it is its main function but it hints in the right direction.

Fixed in rev 86976.

Can you make the same addition in the docs of 3.1 and 2.7?

The json module is listed in the Internet Data Handling section[0], and the description says:
"""
This chapter describes modules which support handling data formats commonly used on the Internet.
"""
This seems OK for json.


The File Format section[1] says:
"""
The modules described in this chapter parse various miscellaneous file formats that aren’t markup languages and are not related to e-mail.
"""
And this description might work for json too.

I'm not sure it's worth moving it though.


[0]: http://docs.python.org/py3k/library/netdata.html
[1]: http://docs.python.org/py3k/library/fileformats.html

JSON is not file format, it is data-interchange format.

We don't have a "Data-interchange Formats" section, so the "Internet Data Handling" section seems more appropriate than the "File Formats" one, right?

Right.

But having a reference from File Formats will help people find this information easier.

And what are these people looking for?  "json"?  If so, there's
already an entry in the module index.  That seems sufficient.

These people look for alternative configuration format to .ini, for example.

New changeset d0ada1e369cd by Ezio Melotti in branch '3.1':
#9101: backport json reference in configparser doc.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/d0ada1e369cd

New changeset 5a09a335e8e7 by Ezio Melotti in branch '2.7':
#9101: backport json reference in configparser doc.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/5a09a335e8e7

Wow. That's much better - python makes progress. Does this `robot` stuff flies back to Roundup? Is it possible to specify "closes bug #9101" directly in commit message?

It's just a mercurial hook that sends email, and yes, it's possible to close the issues automatically writing "closes #xxxx" in the commit message, but I prefer to close the issue manually.

Awesome. Especially links to actual changesets. BTW, there are only backport commits - where is the notification about the main one?

In msg123296, r86976.

Thanks.