--- a/configuration/config.py	Mon Mar 26 15:55:05 2012 -0700
+++ b/configuration/config.py	Mon Mar 26 16:10:15 2012 -0700
@@ -22,12 +22,33 @@
 
 __all__ = ['Configuration', 'configuration_providers', 'types']
 
+### configuration providers for serialization/deserialization
+
 configuration_providers = []
+
+class ConfigurationProvider(object):
+    """
+    abstract base class for configuration providers for
+    serialization/deserialization
+    """
+
 if json:
     class JSON(object):
         extensions = ['json']
         def read(self, filename):
             return json.loads(file(filename).read())
+        def write(self, config, filename):
+            if isinstance(filename, basestring):
+                f = file(filename, 'w')
+                newfile = True
+            else:
+                f = filename
+                newfile = False
+            try:
+                f.write(json.dumps(config))
+            finally:
+                if newfile:
+                    f.close()
     configuration_providers.append(JSON)
 
 if yaml: