Some thoughts on how a configuration specification might look...


NAME	DEFAULT_VALUE/METHOD	POSSIBLE_VALUES 	TYPE(boolean, value) 	

REGION	LA			{NE, LA}		value
PAR_SEQ parallel		{parallel, sequential} 	value
USE_BEE false			{true, false}		bool

These can generate macro definitions and the like.  Note that a variable can be 
either translated by value or its value can result in a definition: 

 
For example,

	USE_BEE = true		->   Results in #define BEE
	REGION = LA             ->   Results in #define LA	(value results in definition)
	NUM_MACHINES = 5	->   Results in #define NUM_MACHINES 5 (by value)

Currently, another Makefiles are used to generate another mechanism.  A group of values
might represent one particular class of configuration.

For example in the current system:

	make cs 	-> Sets the variables ARCH=alpha_osf1, TARGET_SYS=cs, 
			   {MAIN,CHEM,TRANS} = ALPHA

A variation on this uses a make rule as a sort of function call to set a group of vars
at one time:

	make config ("Local" Variables)  --> generates SYSTEM


Depending on a how a system is implemented this may or may not be necessary.

Anyway, in general we might define a group of variables.

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION: ARCH, MAIN, CHEM, TRANS


Then we can define default settings which we would attach to those groups (though
variables probably shouldn't be restricted to those groups.  Of course, we could impose
some sort of structure on relationships between groups but this may be overkill).  Or 
simple think of some general way to specify a way to group these defaults together.  
THIS IS PROBABLY ADEQUATE...


Parallel System/CS: 
	ARCH=alpha_osf1, MAIN=ALPHA, CHEM=ALPHA, TRANS=ALPHA, VIRTUAL_MACHINE=CMU_LAB_ALPHAS