As markuspetrux wrote:

It seems that the new addition to CCK, the new hookwidgetsettingsalter() opened Pandora's box.

There are quite a few modules that attach their own logic to CCK fields. Up until now those modules had to have their own DB or set their own variables.

In CCK 2.5, hook_widget_settings_alter() got in, which allows your module to hook into the field settings, and rely on CCK to save and load those settings when needed.

But that's not all - as the settings are becoming part of the CCK field defention it means that when you'll export the CCK to code - your module settings will be there. Your module now actually has import/ export functionality without you even having to bother about.

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