--- a/configuration/config.py	Mon Mar 26 09:14:04 2012 -0700
+++ b/configuration/config.py	Mon Mar 26 09:45:06 2012 -0700
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
         self.config = {}
         self.configuration_providers = configuration_providers
 
+    def items(self):
+        # TODO: allow options to be a list of 2-tuples
+        return options.items()
+
     def check(self, config):
         """check validity of configuration"""
 
@@ -68,21 +72,43 @@
         self.config.update(config)
         # TODO: option to extend; augment lists/dicts
 
-    def parser(self):
-        """return OptionParser"""
+    def parser(self, configuration_provider_option=None, **parser_args):
+        """
+        return OptionParser for this Configuration instance
+        - configuration_provider_options : option for configuration files [TODO]
+        (also TODO: a special value that equates to the first file extension value
+        for the configuration_providers)
+        - parser_args : arguments to the OptionParser constructor
+        """
+        if 'description' not in parser_args:
+            parser_args['description'] = getattr(self, '__doc__', '')
+            if 'formatter' not in parser_args:
+                class PlainDescriptionFormatter(optparse.IndentedHelpFormatter):
+                    """description formatter for console script entry point"""
+                    def format_description(self, description):
+                        if description:
+                            return description.strip() + '\n'
+                        else:
+                            return ''
+                parser_args['formatter'] = PlainDescriptionFormatter()
+        parser = optparse.OptionParser(**parser_args)
+        for key, value in self.items():
+
+            # CLI arguments
+            args = value.get('flags', ['--%s' % key])
+            if not args:
+                continue
+
+            kw = {}
+            help = value.get('help', key)
+            # TODO: types
+
         raise NotImplementedError("TODO")
 
 def main(args=sys.argv[:]):
 
     # parse command line options
     usage = '%prog [options]'
-    class PlainDescriptionFormatter(optparse.IndentedHelpFormatter):
-        """description formatter for console script entry point"""
-        def format_description(self, description):
-            if description:
-                return description.strip() + '\n'
-            else:
-                return ''
     parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=usage, description=__doc__, formatter=PlainDescriptionFormatter())
     options, args = parser.parse_args(args)
 

--- a/tests/example.py	Mon Mar 26 09:14:04 2012 -0700
+++ b/tests/example.py	Mon Mar 26 09:45:06 2012 -0700
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     parser = ExampleConfiguration().parser()
-    
+

--- a/tests/unit.py	Mon Mar 26 09:14:04 2012 -0700
+++ b/tests/unit.py	Mon Mar 26 09:45:06 2012 -0700
@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@
 import sys
 import unittest
 
+import example # example configuration to test
+
 # globals
 here = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
 class configurationUnitTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_configuration(self):
-        pass
+        
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()