Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -750,11 +750,11 @@
       #t))
 
 ;; (map print (map car (hash-table->alist (read-config "runconfigs.config" #f #t))))
 (define (common:get-runconfig-targets #!key (configf #f))
   (let ((targs       (sort (map car (hash-table->alist
-				     (or configf
+				     (or configf ;; NOTE: There is no value in using runconfig:read here.
 					 (read-config (conc *toppath* "/runconfigs.config")
 						      #f #t)
 					 (make-hash-table))))
 			   string<?))
 	(target-patt (args:get-arg "-target")))

Index: configf.scm
==================================================================
--- configf.scm
+++ configf.scm
@@ -177,20 +177,46 @@
       (and (or (equal? "default" section)
 	       (member section sections))
 	   allow-system) ;; account for sections and return allow-system as it might be a symbol such as return-strings
       allow-system))
     
+;; given a config hash and a section name, apply that section to all matching sections (using wildcard % or regex if /..../)
+;; remove the section when done so that there is no downstream clobbering
+;;
+(define (configf:apply-wildcards ht section-name)
+  (if (hash-table-exists? ht section-name)
+      (let ((vars (hash-table-ref ht section-name))
+            (rx   (regexp (if (string-contains section-name "%")
+                              (string-substitute section-name "%" ".*")
+                              section-name))))
+        (for-each
+         (lambda (section)
+           (if (and section-name
+                    section 
+                    (not (string=? section-name section))
+                    (string-match rx section))
+               (for-each
+                (lambda (bundle)
+                  (let ((key  (car bundle))
+                        (val  (cadr bundle))
+                        (meta (if (> (length bundle) 2)(caddr bundle) #f)))
+                    (hash-table-set! ht section (config:assoc-safe-add (hash-table-ref ht section) key val metadata: meta))))
+                vars)))
+         (hash-table-keys ht))))
+  ht)
+
 ;; read a config file, returns hash table of alists
 
 ;; read a config file, returns hash table of alists
 ;; adds to ht if given (must be #f otherwise)
 ;; envion-patt is a regex spec that identifies sections that will be eval'd
 ;; in the environment on the fly
 ;; sections: #f => get all, else list of sections to gather
 ;; post-section-procs alist of section-pattern => proc, where: (proc section-name next-section-name ht curr-path)
+;; apply-wildcards: #t/#f - apply vars from targets with % wildcards to all matching sections
 ;;
-(define (read-config path ht allow-system #!key (environ-patt #f)(curr-section #f)(sections #f)(settings (make-hash-table))(keep-filenames #f)(post-section-procs '()))
+(define (read-config path ht allow-system #!key (environ-patt #f)(curr-section #f)(sections #f)(settings (make-hash-table))(keep-filenames #f)(post-section-procs '())(apply-wildcards #t))
   (debug:print-info 5 *default-log-port* "read-config " path " allow-system " allow-system " environ-patt " environ-patt " curr-section: " curr-section " sections: " sections " pwd: " (current-directory))
   (debug:print 9 *default-log-port* "START: " path)
   (if (and (not (port? path))
 	   (not (file-exists? path))) ;; for case where we are handed a port
       (begin 
@@ -201,18 +227,27 @@
 			    (open-input-file path)
 			      path)) ;; we can be handed a port
 	    (res        (if (not ht)(make-hash-table) ht))
 	    (metapath   (if (or (debug:debug-mode 9)
 				keep-filenames)
-			    path #f)))
+			    path #f))
+            (process-wildcards  (lambda (res curr-section-name)
+                                  (if (and apply-wildcards
+                                           (or (string-contains curr-section-name "%")   ;; wildcard
+                                               (string-match "/.*/" curr-section-name))) ;; regex
+                                      (begin
+                                        (configf:apply-wildcards res curr-section-name)
+                                        (hash-table-delete! res curr-section-name))))))  ;; NOTE: if the section is a wild card it will be REMOVED from res 
 	(let loop ((inl               (configf:read-line inp res (calc-allow-system allow-system curr-section sections) settings)) ;; (read-line inp))
 		   (curr-section-name (if curr-section curr-section "default"))
 		   (var-flag #f);; turn on for key-var-pr and cont-ln-rx, turn off elsewhere
 		   (lead     #f))
 	  (debug:print-info 8 *default-log-port* "curr-section-name: " curr-section-name " var-flag: " var-flag "\n   inl: \"" inl "\"")
 	  (if (eof-object? inl) 
 	      (begin
+                ;; process last section for wildcards
+                (process-wildcards res curr-section-name)
 		(if (string? path) ;; we received a path, not a port, thus we are responsible for closing it.
 		    (close-input-port inp))
 		(hash-table-delete! res "") ;; we are using "" as a dumping ground and must remove it before returning the ht
 		(debug:print 9 *default-log-port* "END: " path)
 		res)
@@ -265,10 +300,13 @@
 							   (let ((patt (car dat))
 								 (proc (cdr dat)))
 							     (if (string-match patt curr-section-name)
 								 (proc curr-section-name section-name res path))))
 							 post-section-procs)
+                                                        ;; after gathering the vars for a section and if apply-wildcards is true and if there is a wildcard in the section name process wildcards
+                                                        ;; NOTE: we are processing the curr-section-name, NOT section-name.
+                                                        (process-wildcards res curr-section-name)
 							(loop (configf:read-line inp res (calc-allow-system allow-system curr-section-name sections) settings)
 							      ;; if we have the sections list then force all settings into "" and delete it later?
 							      (if (or (not sections) 
 								      (member section-name sections))
 								  section-name "") ;; stick everything into ""

Index: dashboard-tests.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard-tests.scm
+++ dashboard-tests.scm
@@ -463,11 +463,11 @@
 				 keydat)
 			    "/"))
 	       (item-path  (db:test-get-item-path testdat))
 	       ;; this next block was added to fix a bug where variables were
                ;; needed. Revisit this.
-	       (runconfig  (let ((runconfigf (conc  *toppath* "/runconfigs.config")))
+	       (runconfig  (let ((runconfigf (conc  *toppath* "/runconfigs.config"))) ;; no rush but it would be good to convert this call to use runconfig:read
 	 		     (if (file-exists? runconfigf)
 	 			 (handle-exceptions
                                    exn
                                    #f  ;; do nothing, just keep on trucking ....
                                    (setup-env-defaults runconfigf run-id (make-hash-table) keydat environ-patt: keystring))

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -773,11 +773,11 @@
 				     given-toppath: toppath
 				     pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
 	     (first-rundat  (let ((toppath (if toppath 
 					       toppath
 					       (car first-pass))))
-			      (read-config ;; (conc toppath "/runconfigs.config")
+			      (read-config ;; (conc toppath "/runconfigs.config") ;; this should be converted to runconfig:read but it is non-trivial, leaving it for now.
 			       (conc (if (string? toppath)
 					 toppath
 					 (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
 				     "/runconfigs.config")
 			       *runconfigdat* #t 
@@ -806,11 +806,11 @@
 				    pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))
 		     (runconfigdat (begin     ;; this read of the runconfigs will see any adjustments made by re-reading megatest.config
 				     (for-each (lambda (kt)
 						 (setenv (car kt) (cadr kt)))
 					       key-vals)
-				     (read-config (conc toppath "/runconfigs.config") *runconfigdat* #t 
+				     (read-config (conc toppath "/runconfigs.config") *runconfigdat* #t ;; consider using runconfig:read some day ...
 						  sections: sections))))
 		(if cancreate (configf:write-alist runconfigdat rccachef))
 		(set! *runconfigdat* runconfigdat)
 		(if cancreate (configf:write-alist *configdat* mtcachef))
 		(if cancreate (set! *configstatus* 'fulldata))))
@@ -824,11 +824,11 @@
 			environ-patt: "env-override"
 			given-toppath: (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")
 			pathenvvar: "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")))
 	(if cfgdat
 	    (let* ((toppath  (or (get-environment-variable "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME")(cadr cfgdat)))
-		   (rdat     (read-config (conc toppath
+		   (rdat     (read-config (conc toppath  ;; convert this to use runconfig:read!
 						"/runconfigs.config") *runconfigdat* #t sections: sections)))
 	      (set! *configinfo*   cfgdat)
 	      (set! *configdat*    (car cfgdat))
 	      (set! *runconfigdat* rdat)
 	      (set! *toppath*      toppath)

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -840,11 +840,12 @@
 			   (setenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
 			   (if key-vals
 			       (for-each (lambda (kt)
 					   (setenv (car kt) (cadr kt)))
 					 key-vals))
-			   (read-config (conc *toppath* "/runconfigs.config") #f #t sections: sections))))
+			   ;; (read-config (conc *toppath* "/runconfigs.config") #f #t sections: sections))))
+                           (runconfig:read (conc *toppath* "/runconfigs.config") target #f))))
 	  (if (and rundir ;; have all needed variabless
 		   (directory-exists? rundir)
 		   (file-write-access? rundir))
 	      (begin
 		(configf:write-alist data cfgf)
@@ -862,16 +863,17 @@
 	 ((and (args:get-arg "-section")
 	       (args:get-arg "-var"))
 	  (let ((val (or (configf:lookup data (args:get-arg "-section")(args:get-arg "-var"))
 			 (configf:lookup data "default" (args:get-arg "-var")))))
 	    (if val (print val))))
-	 ((not (args:get-arg "-dumpmode"))
+	 ((or (not (args:get-arg "-dumpmode"))
+              (string=? (args:get-arg "-dumpmode") "ini"))
+	  (configf:config->ini data))
+	 ((string=? (args:get-arg "-dumpmode") "sexp")
 	  (pp (hash-table->alist data)))
 	 ((string=? (args:get-arg "-dumpmode") "json")
 	  (json-write data))
-	 ((string=? (args:get-arg "-dumpmode") "ini")
-	  (configf:config->ini data))
 	 (else
 	  (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "-dumpmode of " (args:get-arg "-dumpmode") " not recognised")))
 	(set! *didsomething* #t))
       (pop-directory)))
 

Index: runconfig.scm
==================================================================
--- runconfig.scm
+++ runconfig.scm
@@ -8,10 +8,15 @@
 (declare (unit runconfig))
 (declare (uses common))
 
 (include "common_records.scm")
 
+(define (runconfig:read fname target environ-patt)
+  (let ((ht (make-hash-table)))
+    (hash-table-set! ht target '())
+    (read-config fname ht #t environ-patt: environ-patt sections: (if target (list "default" target) #f))))
+
 ;; NB// to process a runconfig ensure to use environ-patt with target!
 ;;
 (define (setup-env-defaults fname run-id already-seen keyvals #!key (environ-patt #f)(change-env #t))
   (let* ((keys    (map car keyvals))
 	 (thekey  (if keyvals 
@@ -21,11 +26,11 @@
 			  (begin
 			    (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "setup-env-defaults called with no run-id or -target or -reqtarg")
 			    "nothing matches this I hope"))))
 	 ;; Why was system disallowed in the reading of the runconfigs file?
 	 ;; NOTE: Should be setting env vars based on (target|default)
-	 (confdat (read-config fname #f #t environ-patt: environ-patt sections: (list "default" thekey)))
+	 (confdat   (runconfig:read fname thekey environ-patt))
 	 (whatfound (make-hash-table))
 	 (finaldat  (make-hash-table))
 	 (sections (list "default" thekey)))
     (if (not *target*)(set! *target* thekey)) ;; may save a db access or two but repeats db:get-target code
     (debug:print 4 *default-log-port* "Using key=\"" thekey "\"")