Nim: global user config can override project specific config

[timotheecour]

currently, config files are processed in that order:
all nim.cfg files first
then all config.nims files

eg:

Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim/config/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/.config/nim/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/proj/nim.cfg' [Conf]
and THEN:
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/.config/nim/config.nims' [Conf]
/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/proj/config.nims

this is odd, as it makes global/user configs (/Users/timothee/.config/nim/config.nims) override project-specific ones (eg /Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/proj/nim.cfg) (given that flags / options can be set in both)

proposal

process in lockstep instead, example:

global nim.cfg
global config.nims
user nim.cfg
user config.nims
proj nim.cfg
proj config.nims

etc

alternative: depreacte nim.cfg

we could think about whether we plan on deprecating nim.cfg, now that config.nims covers all use cases of nim.cfg (but with more features)

[Araq]

Ok. Deprecation of the old config system is tough as long as the new config system is so slow. :-(

[kaushalmodi]

(moved the probably unrelated issue details to a new issue: https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/issues/9450)

[dom96]

Ok. Deprecation of the old config system is tough as long as the new config system is so slow. :-(

You promised me you wouldn't deprecate nim.cfg. It's nice to have a straightforward config format like that instead of full-blown nimscript.

[timotheecour]

@kaushalmodi this is odd (and IMO unrelated to this issue since it's not in lockstep); maybe create another issue and put as much info as needed and let's follow up your issue there instead of here? not seeing your issue on my system.

[Araq]

You promised me you wouldn't deprecate nim.cfg. It's nice to have a straightforward config format like that instead of full-blown nimscript.

Well this promise cannot hold forever, can it? Do we want to have two config systems forever?

[timotheecour]

let's discuss whether nim.cfg should be deprecated in a separate place => see: should we deprecate nim.cfg in favor of config.nims format? - Nim forum to avoid conflating issues and give everyone a chance to present their arguments

[timotheecour]

what about config/nimdoc.cfg ?

git clone https://github.com/kaushalmodi/std_vector && cd std_vector # as of ffa9155f24e01b65a267fcd7d6d382a1f7d0a527
nim doc --hint:conf -b:cpp $nim_D/std_vector/src/std_vector.nim
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim_devel/config/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim_devel/config/config.nims' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/.config/nim/nim.cfg' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/.config/nim/config.nims' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/std_vector/config.nims' [Conf]
Hint: used config file '/Users/timothee/git_clone/nim/Nim_devel/config/nimdoc.cfg' [Conf]