Configuration systems should be designed with modularity and clarity in mind. When creating configuration classes or mechanisms: 1. **Separate generic from specific configurations**: Organize configuration options by their scope and applicability. Use class hierarchies or namespaces to isolate domain-specific settings from generic ones. ```cpp // Good practice - clear separation of concerns class AcceleratorAllocatorConfig { // Common settings applicable to all accelerators }; class CUDAAllocatorConfig : public AcceleratorAllocatorConfig { // CUDA-specific settings }; ``` 2. **Use descriptive, consistent naming conventions**: Configuration option names should clearly indicate their purpose and scope. - Avoid device-specific terms in generic interfaces (e.g., use `device_malloc` not `cudamalloc`) - Use consistent prefixes to group related options (e.g., `pinned_` for pinned memory settings) 3. **Document all configuration options**: Each option should have clear documentation explaining its purpose, valid values, and implications. 4. **Design for extensibility**: Implement hook mechanisms that allow domain-specific configurations to be integrated with generic ones. 5. **Propagate build-time configurations**: When generating configuration files (e.g., from .cmake.in templates), ensure build-time choices are properly encoded for downstream consumers. These practices improve maintainability by making configuration systems more intuitive, better documented, and easier to extend for new devices or backends.