Configs suck? Try a real programming language
This just sounds like solving a problem at the wrong level and making it worse.  If your config is so complicated that it warrants a full-blown language, the logic should go into the <i>main program</i> that reads the config and decides what to do, not left inside config.<p>Having a programmable config is how you end up with horrible interdependencies where function f() does foo, and you can't figure out why it's not blowing up, until you realize the only caller is dynamically configured in staging_env_4.json which is emitted by config_generator.py which always ensures the precondition for foo, but only if it's also generating prod_env.json at the same time, but it's OK because we always do that anyway, and you're not sure if you need another cup of coffee or whiskey.