--- a/makeitso/template.py	Thu Jan 06 17:49:40 2011 -0800
+++ b/makeitso/template.py	Thu Jan 06 17:58:34 2011 -0800
@@ -72,12 +72,14 @@
         - interactive : whether tointeractively get variables
         - usedefaults : try to use the default values if not specified
         """
-        
+
+        # boilerplate
         assert self.templates
         self.output = output
         self.interactive = interactive
         self.location = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
         self.defaults = variables.copy()
+        self.usedefaults = usedefaults
 
         # make a dictionary of the variables for lookup convenience
         self.vardict = {}
@@ -94,14 +96,26 @@
                 path = os.path.join(self.location, template)
             assert os.path.exists(template)
 
+    def get_variables(self, **variables):
+        # XXX could do this in the ctor
+        vars = ContentTemplate.get_variables(self, **variables)
+        if self.usedefaults:
+            for variable in self.vars:
+                if variable.name in vars:
+                    continue
+                if variable.default is not Undefined:
+                    vars[variable.name] = variable.default
+        return vars
+
     def missing(self, **variables):
+        vars = self.get_variables(**variables)
         missing = set([])
         if self.look:
             pass
         else:
             for var in self.vars:
                 if self.usedefaults:
-                    pass
+                    import pdb; pdb.set_trace()
                 else:
                     pass