--- a/makeitso/makeitso.py	Thu Jan 06 13:14:12 2011 -0800
+++ b/makeitso/makeitso.py	Thu Jan 06 14:15:19 2011 -0800
@@ -123,11 +123,11 @@
     
     defaults = {'include': include}
 
-    def __init__(self, content, name=None, interactive=True, **variables):
+    def __init__(self, content, name=None, interactive=True, variables=None):
 
         # default variables
         self.defaults = self.__class__.defaults.copy()
-        self.defaults.update(variables)
+        self.defaults.update(variables or {})
 
         # TODO: automagically tell if the program is interactive or not
         self.interactive = interactive
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
 
     def missing(self, **variables):
         """return additional variables needed"""
-        vars = variables.copy()
+        vars = self.get_variables(**variables)
         missing = set([])
         while True:
             try:
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@
 class URITemplate(ContentTemplate):
     """template for a file or URL"""
 
-    def __init__(self, uri, output=None, interactive=True, **variables):
+    def __init__(self, uri, output=None, interactive=True, variables=None):
         self.output = output or sys.stdout        
         content = include(uri)
         
@@ -200,10 +200,10 @@
         if shebang_re.match(content):
             content = os.linesep.join(content.splitlines()[1:])
 
-        variables['here'] = parent_uri(uri)        
+        variables['here'] = parent_uri(uri)
         ContentTemplate.__init__(self, content, name=uri,
                                  interactive=interactive,
-                                 **variables)
+                                 variables=variables)
 
     def substitute(self, **variables):
         output = ContentTemplate.substitute(self, **variables)
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@
 class DirectoryTemplate(ContentTemplate):
     """template for a directory structure"""
     
-    def __init__(self, directory, output=None, interactive=True, **variables):
+    def __init__(self, directory, output=None, interactive=True, variables=None):
         """
         - output : output directory; if None will render in place
         """
@@ -233,17 +233,18 @@
             if os.path.exists(output):
                 assert os.path.isdir(output), "%s: Must be a directory" % self.name
         self.defaults = ContentTemplate.defaults.copy()
-        self.defaults.update(variables)
+        self.defaults.update(variables or {})
 
 
     def missing(self, **variables):
-        variables = variables.copy()
+        vars = self.defaults.copy()
+        vars.update(variables)
         missing = set([])
         for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(self.name):
 
             # find variables from directory names
             for d in dirnames:
-                missed = ContentTemplate(d).missing(**variables)
+                missed = ContentTemplate(d).missing(**vars)
                 missing.update(missed)
                 variables.update(dict([(i, '') for i in missed]))
 
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@
             for f in filenames:
                 path = os.path.join(dirpath, f)
                 template = URITemplate(path, interactive=self.interactive)
-                missed = template.missing(**variables)
+                missed = template.missing(**vars)
                 missing.update(missed)
                 variables.update(dict([(i, '') for i in missed]))
 
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@
 class PolyTemplate(ContentTemplate):
     """template for several files/directories"""
 
-    def __init__(self, templates, output=None, interactive=True, **variables):
+    def __init__(self, templates, output=None, interactive=True, variables=None):
 
         assert templates, "No templates given!"
 
@@ -309,9 +310,9 @@
         for template in templates:
             # TODO: check if the template is a [e.g] PasteScript.template entry point
             if os.path.isdir(template):
-                self.templates.append(DirectoryTemplate(template, interactive=self.interactive, output=output, **variables))
+                self.templates.append(DirectoryTemplate(template, interactive=self.interactive, output=output, variables=variables))
             else:
-                self.templates.append(URITemplate(template, interactive=self.interactive, output=output, **variables))
+                self.templates.append(URITemplate(template, interactive=self.interactive, output=output, variables=variables))
 
     def missing(self, **variables):
         vars = variables.copy()