---

Chapter 1  Introduction

• The Purpose of the Manual
• Structure of this Manual

1.1  The Purpose of the Manual

This manual is intended primarily for people who want to modify or maintain the source code of Config4*. For example, if you want to investigate and fix a bug, add new new functionality, or implement Config4* in another programming language, then you should consider reading this manual.

Even if you are not interested in modifying or maintaining Config4*, you still might find this manual interesting. For example, perhaps you have wondered about the motivation behind a particular aspect of the Config4* API. The information provided in this manual might satisfy such curiosity.

1.2  Structure of this Manual

The chapters in this manual are grouped into two parts.

Part I provides information on the architecture of Config4*. The chapters in Part I explain not just how Config4* is designed, but also why it was designed that way. If you spend, say, one hour, reading Part I of this manual, then that might save you several days of effort in getting up to speed with the source-code of Config4*.

Part II discusses some of the “rough edges” that exist in Config4*. If you would like to contribute to Config4*, then reading Part II may give you some inspiration on where you could make a good impact.

---