[Lazarus] Why was XML format chosen for storing settings in Lazarus IDE?

[Michael Schnell]

For me XML is a quite logical extension to INI format.

While I feel that an XML file for flat structures (like doable in INI)
only imposes a slight overhead in the file regarding INI, it provides
some important extensions:

 - it's a commonly agreed standard with open source handling software
available everywhere
 - it provides a standard way to handle Unicode (or I at least hope so)
 - it provides a standard way to handle binary code (bas64)
 - it is extensible to non-flat structures.

The downside of course is that the handling code is a lot more complex
and thus slower.

If Lazarus uses several different libraries for XML handling this of
course should be cured. A single library should be used and provided to
the Lazarus users to call in their projects.

-Michael