sub parse_options {    # \%options_we_can_write, \@lines_of_options_file. [ $die_on_extra_options ] 
	#loads all matching values from an array of lines into the options hash
	#uses '=' as the separator, one ( 1 ) space on either side
	my ($options_we_can_write, $options_file_lines, $die_on_extra_options) = @_;
	
	my $var = "";
	my $sigil = "";
	my $val = "";
	my $setter = "";
	my $arraything = "";
	my $fd = "";
	my $rd = "";
	my $index = "";
	
	if( ! %{$options_we_can_write} ){ die "no options to match\n" }


	foreach ( @{ $options_file_lines } ){
		if( $_ =~ m/
					^([@%\$]?) # open sigil
					([a-zA-Z_]+) # variable
					(\[)? #optional open bracket
					([\d]*) #optional number
					(])? #optional close bracket
					\ # space
					= # equals
					\ # space
					([a-zA-Z0-9_\\\/:]+)$ # string until end of line
				/x #end regex
			){ #startif
			#print "##$1## ##$2## ##$3## ##$4## ##$5## ##$6##\n"; #complains about undefined values

			if( defined ($sigil = $1) eq "" ){ $sigil = '$' }
			print "####sigil $sigil ##>$1<##\n";
			$var = $2;
			if( defined ($fd = $3) eq "" ){ $fd = "" };
			if( defined ($index = $4) eq "" ){ $index = "" }
			if( defined ($rd = $5) eq "" ){ $rd = "" };
			
			if ( ($fd eq '[' and $rd ne ']') or ($fd eq "{" and $rd ne '}') ){
				print STDERR "Mismatched delimiters for $var, skipping\n";
				next;
			}
			
			if ( ($fd eq '[' and $rd eq ']') and ( ! is_whole_number($index) ) ){
				print STDERR "array assignment $var needs whole number index\n";
				next;
			}
			
#			if ($fd eq "{" and $rd != '}' ){
#				print STDERR "Error bad delimiter for $var";
#			}


			$setter = "$sigil\{ \$options_we_can_write->{$var} }$fd$index$rd = $val";
			print "$setter\n";
			
			if( exists $options_we_can_write->{"$var"} ){
				eval $setter;			
			}
		
			next;
		}
	
	
	
	
	
		if( $_ =~ m/^(.*?) = (.*)$/ ){
			$var = $1;
			$val = $2;

			if( exists $options_we_can_write->{"$var"} ){
				${ $options_we_can_write->{"$var"} } = $val;
			} else {
				print "Error: desired option $var not found\n";
			}
		}
		#print "$_\n";
	}
	return 0;
}

##</code><code>##

if( defined ($fd = $3) eq "" ){ $fd = "" };

##</code><code>##

if( defined ($fd = $3) eq "" ){ $fd = "ssssssssss" };