I follow this plan in many (maybe most) app config situations, but it has at least two noteworthy drawbacks: 1) it presents an obstacle to sharing config files

I follow this plan in many (maybe most) app config situations, but it has at least two noteworthy drawbacks: 1) it presents an obstacle to sharing config files in a multi-language environment. 2) writing user prefs in the host app’s native language is fraught with security issues The first concern is admittedly niche, and both concerns are addressable with some care and thought, but they’re good to consider.