Let's have a "registry".
Just because Windows' registry is hard to manually edit doesn't mean they are a bad idea. Look at how much better Windows' GUI configuration tools are than anything on Linux. They all use the registry.
That's not the problem with Windows registry.
> That's not the problem with Windows registry.
What is?
> My life would be a heck of a lot easier if per-application settings were stored in a place I could easily see them, manipulate them, and back them up. Like, say... in INI files.
> The registry is opaque and binary. As much as I dislike the angle bracket tax, at least XML config files are reasonably human-readable, and they allow as many comments as you see fit.
Now look at the comment you replied to:
> Just because Windows' registry is hard to manually edit doesn't mean they are a bad idea.
You said that's not the problem with the registry, but your own link says that's exactly the problem with the registry...
An associated problem is that the registry accretes trash that is never weeded out (and it's hard to weed it out).
Also at least in former times it was slow (partly because of the trash thing, probably partly because of the implementation, partly because of the centralised design).
with reg query, reg export and reg import commands, respectively. Or with a few clicks in the GUI, if you prefer.
> ...accretes trash
If your app doesn't remove it's old settings when uninstalled how is that a problem for the registry to solve? It happens with /etc also.
> hard to weed it out
Search for the hives if you don't know where they are. Right-click the hives in question, delete.
Registry usability got leaps and bounds better in Windows 7, and again in Windows 10. Most registry problems you hear about are holdovers from the bad old days (XP and older).