dim confKeys$(100)
dim confValues$(100)

optionCount = ParseConfiguration("a.txt")

fullName$ = GetOption$( "FULLNAME", optionCount)
favouriteFruit$ = GetOption$( "FAVOURITEFRUIT", optionCount)
needsPeeling = HasOption("NEEDSPEELING", optionCount)
seedsRemoved = HasOption("SEEDSREMOVED", optionCount)
otherFamily$ = GetOption$( "OTHERFAMILY", optionCount)  'it's easier to keep the comma-separated list as a string

print "Full name: "; fullName$
print "likes: "; favouriteFruit$
print "needs peeling: "; needsPeeling
print "seeds removed: "; seedsRemoved

print "other family:"
otherFamily$ = GetOption$( "OTHERFAMILY", optionCount)
counter = 1
while word$(otherFamily$, counter, ",") <> ""
    print counter; ". "; trim$(word$(otherFamily$, counter, ","))
    counter = counter + 1
wend
end

'parses the configuration file, stores the uppercase keys in array confKeys$ and corresponding values in confValues$
'returns the number of key-value pairs found
function ParseConfiguration(fileName$)
    count = 0
    open fileName$ for input as #f
    while not(eof(#f))
        line input #f, s$
        if not(Left$(s$,1) = "#" or Left$( s$,1) = ";" or trim$(s$) = "") then  'ignore empty and comment lines
            s$ = trim$(s$)
            key$ = ParseKey$(s$)
            value$ = trim$(Mid$(s$,len(key$) + 1))
            if Left$( value$,1) = "=" then value$ = trim$(Mid$(value$,2))  'optional =
            count = count + 1
            confKeys$(count) = upper$(key$)
            confValues$(count) = value$
        end if
    wend
    close #f
    ParseConfiguration = count
end function

function ParseKey$(s$)
    'key is the first word in s$, delimited by whitespace or =
    s$ = word$(s$, 1)
    ParseKey$ = trim$(word$(s$, 1, "="))
end function


function GetOption$( key$, optionCount)
    index = Find.confKeys( 1, optionCount, key$)
    if index > 0 then GetOption$ =(confValues$(index))
end function


function HasOption(key$, optionCount)
    HasOption = Find.confKeys( 1, optionCount, key$) > 0
end function

function Find.confKeys( Start, Finish, value$)
    Find.confKeys = -1
    for i = Start to Finish
        if confKeys$(i) = value$ then Find.confKeys = i : exit for
    next i
end function