Declarative Profiles: Why use PHP when we have JSON Configuration?

[shabib-m]

I would like to propose enabling support for JSON files to make configurations easier to modify during installation, when migrating sites, or when deploying new distributions. This approach will greatly lower the barrier to entry for web designers, non-developers, and site builders, making Backdrop CMS much more accessible and easier to manage.

For example:In the file core\profiles\standard\standard.install, lines 108 through 365 can be completely replaced by just using JSON files.

such as:
node.type.page.json
node.type.card.json
node.post.card.json
The same applies to taxonomies, for instance:
taxonomy.vocabulary.tags.json

Furthermore, I managed to export the fields directly from
admin/config/development/configuration/single/export
and place them inside the configuration folder (config) of the distribution to be used during installation.

The question is: Why do we still need all this boilerplate PHP code and hundreds of lines of scripting when we already have the Configuration Manager providing simple, lightweight, and easy-to-use JSON files?"

[shabib-m]

We need to enable themes directly via the .info file and move away from writing PHP code in the .install file.

themes[] = basis

[shabib-m]

An immediate blocker to eliminating PHP code in .install files is how Backdrop handles default view overrides during installation.For instance, in standard.install, we are forced to use the following PHP code to modify the core promoted view to exclude specific content types (like cards)..

  // // Modify the default promoted view to exclude cards.
  $promoted_view = views_get_view('promoted');
  $promoted_view->display['default']->display_options['filters']['type'] = array(
    'id' => 'type',
    'table' => 'node',
    'field' => 'type',
    'operator' => 'not in',
    'value' => array('card' => 'card'),
  );
  $promoted_view->save();