&gt; the 2nd language is better, it can create an identical configuration in less lines.<p>A simple macro or syntax sugar could save you the same lines. A good language will give you a good, terse syntax for representing common configurations, and enough flexibility for clearly denoting the uncommon ones. If your configuration is particularly obscure, it <i>should</i> need more lines to express.<p>It is not worth sacrificing verifiable correctness to induce this kind of gain when there are better ways of doing it.