--- trunk/webwork-modperl/lib/WeBWorK/CourseEnvironment.pm	2002/06/25 20:29:22	412
+++ trunk/webwork-modperl/lib/WeBWorK/CourseEnvironment.pm	2002/07/25 21:45:29	440
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+################################################################################
+# WeBWorK mod_perl (c) 1995-2002 WeBWorK Team, Univeristy of Rochester
+# $Id$
+################################################################################
+
 package WeBWorK::CourseEnvironment;
 
 use strict;
@@ -72,42 +77,56 @@
 	return $self;
 }
 
-sub hash2string {
-	my $hr = shift;
-	my $indent = shift || 0;
-	my $result;
-	foreach (keys %$hr) {
-		$result .= "\t"x$indent . "{$_} =";
-		if (ref $hr->{$_} eq 'HASH') {
-			$result .= "\n";
-			$result .= hash2string($hr->{$_}, $indent+1);
-		} elsif (ref $hr->{$_} eq 'ARRAY') {
-			$result .= "\n";
-			$result .= array2string($hr->{$_}, $indent+1);
-		} else {
-			$result .= " " . $hr->{$_} . "\n";
-		}
-	}
-	return $result;
-}
+1;
 
-sub array2string {
-	my $ar = shift;
-	my $indent = shift || 0;
-	my $result;
-	foreach (0 .. @$ar-1) {
-		$result .= "\t"x$indent . "[$_] =";
-		if (ref $ar->[$_] eq 'HASH') {
-			$result .= "\n";
-			$result .= hash2string($ar->[$_], $indent+1);
-		} elsif (ref $ar->[$_] eq 'ARRAY') {
-			$result .= "\n";
-			$result .= array2string($ar->[$_], $indent+1);
-		} else {
-			$result .= " " . $ar->[$_] . "\n";
-		}
-	}
-	return $result;
-}
+__END__
 
-1;
+=head1 NAME
+
+WeBWorK::CourseEnvironment - Read configuration information from global.conf
+and course.conf files
+
+=head1 SYNOPSIS
+
+	use WeBWorK::CourseEnvironment;
+	$courseEnv = WeBWorK::CourseEnvironment->new($webworkRoot, $courseName);
+	
+	$timeout = $courseEnv->{sessionKeyTimeout};
+	$mode    = $courseEnv->{pg}->{options}->{displayMode};
+	# etc...
+
+=head1 DESCRIPTION
+
+The WeBWorK::CourseEnvironment module reads the system-wide F<global.conf> and
+course-specific F<course.conf> files used by WeBWorK to calculate and store
+settings needed throughout the system. The F<.conf> files are perl source files
+that can contain any code allowed under the default safe compartment opset.
+After evaluation of both files, any package variables are copied out of the
+safe compartment into a hash. This hash becomes the course environment.
+
+=head1 CONSTRUCTION
+
+=over
+
+=item new (ROOT, COURSE)
+
+The C<new> method finds the file F<conf/global.conf> relative to the given ROOT
+directory. After reading this file, it uses the C<$courseFiles{environment}>
+variable, if present, to locate the course environment file. If found, the file
+is read and added to the environment.
+
+=back
+
+=head1 ACCESS
+
+There are no formal accessor methods. However, since the course environemnt is
+a hash of hashes and arrays, is exists as the self hash of an instance
+variable:
+
+	$courseEnvironment->{someKey}->{someOtherKey};
+
+=head1 AUTHOR
+
+Written by Sam Hathaway, sh002i (at) math.rochester.edu.
+
+=cut