Splunk_Docker/files/splunk-etc/system/README/conf_checker.rules

Conf checker syntax rules for spec files

Warning: This may go out of date.  Crossing fingers.

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Intro:

The syntax checker as it exists now just verifies that setting names
in a conf file seem to be documented in the matching spec file.  It
does not validate the values for settings.

For example, for 

    [mystanza]
    frobnicate = true

We check that frobnicate is mentioned in the documentation for
mystanza, but we do not check that true is an accepted value.

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Stanza Definitions in spec files:

- Must be in
[brackets]  

- Must be against the left edge

USED:
[my_stanza]

IGNORED: 
     [my_stanza]

Indenting stanzas is useful when referencing stanzas for another file,
or example purposes.

-------------

Settings:

Must contain an equals sign, eg
x = y

Indented lines with equals signs are currently used.

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Setting Matching:

Settings are validated two ways.  

1 - Exact matching
2 - Prefix matching


Exact matching:

If the spec file has, for example
    setting_x = <integer>

then a conf file line that has
    setting_x = something

will be accepted as valid.

Prefix matching:

For settings which are written in spec files with the character '<' or
'-', we will do matching of the text prior to these characters

If the spec file has:
    FOO-class = <foo_stanza>

Then settings beginning with "FOO" will be seen as valid.

ACCEPTED in conf:
    FOO = true
    FOOS = true
    FOO-something = true
    FOODEATINGMONSTER = true

NOT ACCEPTED in conf:
    foo = true


Settings with arbitrary names:
    <name> = enabled|disabled

ACCEPTED in conf:
     any setting names are accepted here


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Stanza matching:

Which spec settings are allowed for which stanzas?

Any settings declared in a spec file without any declared stanza, or
after a declared [default] stanza are considered valid for all stanzas
in a conf file.

So for a spec file:
   foo = bar
   [default]
   foo2 = bar2

ACCEPTED in conf:
   foo = yes
   foo2 = no
   [whatever]
   foo = ...
   foo2 = ...

Settings following an explicit string stanza will only be accepted for
that stanza:

For a spec file containing:
   [access_allowed]
   admin = true|false

ACCEPTED in conf:
   [access_allowed]
   admin = yes

NOT ACCEPTED in conf:
   admin = false

   [default]
   admin = true

   [something_else]
   admin = true

Some stanzas are matched with prefix-matching similar to settings.
Spec stanzas containing <, :, or . are considered to match conf
stanzas if they match for the text to the left of any of the above
characters.  

This can be used to show that stanzas of a particular prefix can have
settings, or that there are settings which belong to stanzas that can
be named arbitrarily.

For a spec file containing
   [category:name]
   access = true|false

ACCEPTED in conf:
   [category:fruit]
   access = true

   [category]
   access = true

   [categorywhatever]
   access = true

   [category::::::anything..<><>goes!]
   access = true

For a spec file containing:
   blacklist.n = <regular expression>

ACCEPTED in conf:
   blacklist = hi
   blacklist.5 = whats up?
   blacklist.pie_bob = apples!

For  a spec file containing:
   [<stanza_name>]
   owner = <user>

ACCEPTED in conf:
   [anything]
   owner = jrodman

   [really?:::_anything]
   owner = ewoo

   [Yep]
   owner = splunk