+/***
+ * [[conf_load]]
+ * Safe configuration loading
+ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ *
+ * These functions can be used to to safely load or reload configuration.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Load configuration from @file.
+ * Returns a non-zero value upon error. In that case, all changes to the
+ * configuration specified in the file are undone.
+ **/
+int cf_load(const char *file);
+
+/**
+ * Reload configuration from @file, replace the old one.
+ * If @file is NULL, reload all loaded configuration files and re-apply
+ * bits of configuration passed to cf_set().
+ * Returns a non-zero value upon error. In that case, all configuration
+ * settings are rolled back to the state before calling this function.
+ **/
+int cf_reload(const char *file);
+
+/**
+ * Parse some part of configuration passed in @string.
+ * The syntax is the same as in the <<config:,configuration file>>.
+ * Returns a non-zero value upon error. In that case, all changes to the
+ * configuration specified by the already executed parts of the string
+ * are undone.
+ **/
+int cf_set(const char *string);
+
+/**
+ * Sometimes, the configuration is split to multiple files and when only
+ * some of the are loaded, the settings are not consistent -- for example,
+ * they might have been rejected by a commit hook, because a mandatory setting
+ * is missing.
+ *
+ * This function opens a configuration group, in which multiple files can be
+ * loaded and all commit hooks are deferred until the group is closed.
+ **/
+void cf_open_group(void);
+