@@ -49,22 +49,10 @@
 		(let ((remcwd (take dir (- (length dir) 1))))
 		  (if (null? remcwd)
 		      (list #f #f #f) ;;  #f #f) 
 		  (loop remcwd)))))))))
 
-(define (config:assoc-safe-add alist key val #!key (metadata #f))
-  (let ((newalist (filter (lambda (x)(not (equal? key (car x)))) alist)))
-    (append newalist (list (if metadata
-			       (list key val metadata)
-			       (list key val))))))
-
-(define (configf:section-var-set! cfgdat section-name var value #!key (metadata #f))
-  (hash-table-set! cfgdat section-name
-		   (config:assoc-safe-add
-		    (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section-name '())
-		    var value metadata: metadata)))
-
 (define (config:eval-string-in-environment str)
   ;; (if (or (string-null? str)
   ;;	  (equal? "!" (substring str 0 1))) ;; null string or starts with ! are preserved but NOT set in the environment
       str
       (handle-exceptions
@@ -505,10 +493,26 @@
     (if (and toppath pathenvvar)(setenv pathenvvar toppath))
     (let ((configdat  (if configfile 
 			  (read-config configfile #f #t environ-patt: environ-patt post-section-procs: (list (cons "^fields$" set-fields)) #f))))
       (if toppath (change-directory curr-dir))
       (list configdat toppath configfile fname))))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; lookup and manipulation routines
+;;======================================================================
+
+(define (config:assoc-safe-add alist key val #!key (metadata #f))
+  (let ((newalist (filter (lambda (x)(not (equal? key (car x)))) alist)))
+    (append newalist (list (if metadata
+			       (list key val metadata)
+			       (list key val))))))
+
+(define (configf:section-var-set! cfgdat section-name var value #!key (metadata #f))
+  (hash-table-set! cfgdat section-name
+		   (config:assoc-safe-add
+		    (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section-name '())
+		    var value metadata: metadata)))
 
 (define (configf:lookup cfgdat section var)
   (if (hash-table? cfgdat)
       (let ((sectdat (hash-table-ref/default cfgdat section '())))
 	(if (null? sectdat)
@@ -559,10 +563,14 @@
     (hash-table-set! cfgdat section
                      (config:assoc-safe-add sectdat var val))))
 
     ;;(append (filter (lambda (x)(not (assoc var sectdat))) sectdat)
     ;;	    (list var val))))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; setup
+;;======================================================================
 
 (define (setup)
   (let* ((configf (find-config "megatest.config"))
 	 (config  (if configf (read-config configf #f #t) #f)))
     (if config