--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/python/prefs.py	Tue May 31 15:34:36 2011 -0700
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import re
+comment = re.compile('/\*([^*]|[\r\n]|(\*+([^*/]|[\r\n])))*\*+/', re.MULTILINE)
+
+def read(filename):
+    token = '##//' # magical token
+    lines = [i.strip() for i in file(filename).readlines() if i.strip()]
+    retval = {}
+    _lines = []
+    for line in lines:
+        if line.startswith('#'):
+            continue
+        if '//' in line:
+            line = line.replace('//', token)
+        _lines.append(line)
+    string = '\n'.join(_lines)
+    string = re.sub(comment, '', string)
+    def pref(a, b):
+        retval[a] = b
+    lines = [i.strip().rstrip(';') for i in string.split('\n') if i.strip()]
+    for line in lines:
+        try:
+            _globals = {'retval': retval, 'pref': pref, 'user_pref': pref, 'true': True, 'false': False}
+            eval(line, _globals, {})
+        except SyntaxError:
+            print line
+            import pdb; pdb.set_trace()
+    for key in retval:
+        if isinstance(retval[key], basestring) and token in retval[key]:
+            retval[key] = retval[key].replace(token, '//')
+    return retval
+
+def write(filename, prefs, pref_string='user_pref("%s", %s);'):
+    f = file(filename, 'w')
+    for key, value in prefs.items():
+        if value is True:
+            print >> f, pref_string % (key, 'true')
+        elif value is False:
+            print >> f, pref_string % (key, 'true')
+        elif isinstance(value, basestring):
+            print >> f, pref_string % (key, repr(string(value)))
+        else:
+            print >> f, pref_string % (key, value) # should be numeric!
+    f.close()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+    if not sys.argv[1:]:
+        sys.exit(1)
+    print read(sys.argv[1])