Index: items.scm
==================================================================
--- items.scm
+++ items.scm
@@ -123,13 +123,63 @@
 			(if s (string-split s) #f))))
     (if valid-values
 	(if (member item valid-values)
 	    item #f)
 	item)))
+
+;;  '(("k1" "k2" "k3")
+;;    ("a" "b" "c")
+;;    ("d" "e" "f"))
+;;
+;;    => '((("k1" "a")("k2" "b")("k3" "c"))
+;;         (("k1" "d")("k2" "e")("k3" "f")))
+;;
+(define (items:first-row-intersperse data)
+  (if (< (length data) 2)
+      '()
+      (let ((header (car data))
+	    (rows   (cdr data)))
+	(map (lambda (row)
+	       (map list header row))
+	     rows))))
+
+;; k1/k2/k3
+;; a/b/c
+;; d/e/f
+;;    => '(("k1" "k2" "k3")
+;;         ("a" "b" "c")
+;;         ("d" "e" "f"))
+;;
+;;    => '((("k1" "a")("k2" "b")("k3" "c"))
+;;         (("k1" "d")("k2" "e")("k3" "f")))
+;;
+(define (items:read-items-file fname ftype) ;; 'sxml 'slash 'space 
+  (if (and fname (file-exists? fname))
+      (items:first-row-intersperse (case ftype
+				     ((slash space)
+				      (let ((splitter (case ftype
+							((slash) (lambda (x)(string-split x "/")))
+							(else    string-split))))
+					(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Reading " fname " of type " ftype)
+					(with-input-from-file fname
+					  (lambda ()
+					    (let loop ((inl (read-line))
+						       (res '()))
+					      (if (eof-object? inl)
+						  res
+						  (loop (read-line)(cons (splitter inl) res))))))))
+				     ((sxml)(with-input-from-file fname read))
+				     (else (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "items file type " ftype " not recognised"))))
+      (begin
+	(if fname (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "no items file " fname " found"))
+	'())))
 
 (define (items:get-items-from-config tconfig)
-  (let* ((have-items  (hash-table-ref/default tconfig "items"      #f))
+  (let* ((slashf      (configf:lookup tconfig "itemopts" "slash")) ;; a/b/c\nd/e/f\n ...
+	 (sxmlf       (configf:lookup tconfig "itemopts" "sxml"))  ;; '(("a" "b" "c")("d" "e" "f") ...)
+	 (spacef      (configf:lookup tconfig "itemopts" "space")) ;; a b c\nd e f\n ...
+	 (have-items  (hash-table-ref/default tconfig "items"      #f))
 	 (have-itable (hash-table-ref/default tconfig "itemstable" #f))
 	 (items       (hash-table-ref/default tconfig "items"      '()))
 	 (itemstable  (hash-table-ref/default tconfig "itemstable" '())))
     (debug:print 5 *default-log-port* "items: " items " itemstable: " itemstable)
     (set! items (map (lambda (item)
@@ -142,14 +192,21 @@
 				(list (car item)((cadr item)))  ;; evaluate the proc
 				item))
 			  itemstable))
     (if (and have-items  (null? items))     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING:[items] section in testconfig but no entries defined"))
     (if (and have-itable (null? itemstable))(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNNG:[itemstable] section in testconfig but no entries defined"))
-    (if (or (not (null? items))(not (null? itemstable)))
+    (if (or (not (null? items))
+	    (not (null? itemstable))
+	    slashf
+	    sxmlf
+	    spacef)
 	(append (item-assoc->item-list items)
-		(item-table->item-list itemstable))
+		(item-table->item-list itemstable)
+		(items:read-items-file slashf 'slash)
+		(items:read-items-file sxmlf  'sxml)
+		(items:read-items-file spacef 'space))
 	'(()))))
 
 ;; (pp (item-assoc->item-list itemdat))