diff --git a/src/backend/configitem.c b/src/backend/configitem.c
index 8015a6e20..457692794 100644
--- a/src/backend/configitem.c
+++ b/src/backend/configitem.c
@@ -30,13 +30,183 @@
 #include "backend/configitem.h"
 #include "backend/configentry.h"
 
-//TODO: internal/static forward declarations//
-
 
 //TODO: System includes//
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+
+//TODO: internal/static forward declarations//
+
+static LumieraConfigitem 
+parse_directive(LumieraConfigitem self, char* itr)
+{
+  /*itr points now to @*/
+  self->key = itr;
+
+  /*check whether there are illegal whitespaces after @*/
+  itr++;
+  if (*itr && !isspace(*itr))
+    {
+      /*now look for the end of the directive and set the keysize*/
+      self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
+  
+      itr += self->key_size;
+
+      /*we need a key with a length greather than zero and 
+       * either end of line 
+       * or whitespace after key */
+
+      if ( self->key_size && ( !*itr || (*itr && isspace(*itr)) ))
+        {
+          /*look for given arguments*/ 
+
+          /*skip blanks*/
+          while (*itr && isspace (*itr))
+            itr++;
+
+          if (*itr)
+            {
+              /*there are arguments given, thus set delim*/
+              self->delim = itr - 1;
+            }
+          else
+            {
+              /*no arguments were given*/
+              self->delim = NULL;
+            }
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          /*malformed lines shall be treated like if they were comments*/
+          self->key = NULL;
+          self->key_size = 0;
+
+          LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+        }
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      /*there occurred already an error right after the @!*/
+      /*malformed lines shall be treated like if they were comments*/
+      self->key = NULL;
+      self->key_size = 0;
+
+      LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+    } 
+  return self;
+}
+
+static LumieraConfigitem 
+parse_section(LumieraConfigitem self, char* itr)
+{
+  /*skip blanks before prefix*/
+  itr++;
+  while (*itr && isspace(*itr))
+    itr++;
+
+  /*itr points now to the begin of the key*/
+  self->key = itr;
+
+  /*now look for the end of the key and set the keysize*/
+  self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
+
+  itr += self->key_size;
+
+  /*if the line ends ends with prefix] delim points to ] 
+   * and not the last (blank) character before the final square bracket*/
+  if (self->key_size && *itr && *itr == ']')
+    {
+      self->delim = itr;
+      TODO("self->vtable = &lumiera_configsection_funcs;");
+    }
+  else if (self->key_size && *itr && isspace(*itr))
+    {
+      /* skip blanks until we reach the suffix or the final square bracket*/
+      while (*itr && isspace(*itr))
+        itr++;
+
+      if (*itr && *itr == ']')
+        {
+          /*final square bracket reached, so place delim one char before the 
+           * actual position which must be a whitespace: no extra check necessary*/
+          self->delim = itr - 1;
+          TODO("self->vtable = &lumiera_configsection_funcs;");
+        }
+      else if (*itr)
+        {
+          TODO("check wheter suffix is made of legal characters");
+
+          /*delim points to the last whitespace before the actual position;
+           * no extra check needed*/
+          self->delim = itr - 1;
+          TODO("self->vtable = &lumiera_configsection_funcs;");
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          /*malformed section line, treat this line like a comment*/
+          self->key = NULL;
+          self->key_size = 0;
+
+          LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+
+        }
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      /*error: either *itr is false, points neither to a blank nor to a closed square 
+       * bracket or the key_size is zero*/
+
+      /*treat this line like a comment*/
+      self->key = NULL;
+      self->key_size = 0;
+
+      LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+
+    }
+  
+  return self;
+}
+
+static LumieraConfigitem 
+parse_configentry(LumieraConfigitem self, char* itr)
+{
+  /*itr points now to the first not-whitespace-character*/
+  self->key = itr;
+
+  /*now look for the end of the key and set the keysize*/
+  self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
+
+  /* skip blanks */
+  itr += self->key_size;
+  while (*itr && isspace (*itr))
+    itr++;
+
+  if (self->key_size && *itr == '=')
+    {
+      /*this configentry assigns a value to a key*/
+      self->delim = itr;
+      self->vtable = &lumiera_configentry_funcs;
+    }
+  else if (self->key_size && *itr == '<')
+    {
+      /*this configentry is a redirect*/
+      self->delim = itr;
+      self->vtable = &lumiera_configentry_funcs;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      /*this is not a valid configentry; treat this line like a comment*/
+      self->key = NULL;
+      self->key_size = 0;
+
+      LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
+    }
+
+  return self;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * @file
  *
@@ -172,47 +342,6 @@ lumiera_configitem_parse (LumieraConfigitem self, const char* line)
 
   FIXME ("MOCKUP START");
 
-  TODO ("parsing here");
-  /*
-    HOWTO parse (for simav)
-    in self->line liegt jetzt der 'rohe' string
-
-    parsen setzt folgende werte in self:  .key, .key_size, .delim und vtable. den rest macht dann die 'new' funktion aus der vtable
-
-    es geht jetzt da drum rauszufinden ob diese zeile einses der folgenden sachen ist:
-    (ich zeig hier nur die grundsyntax, das parsen sollte auch entartete situationen behandeln, insbesondere leerzeichen/tabulatoren an allen moeglichen stellen)
-    auserdem sollt hier alles soweit wie moeglich validiert werden z.b. keys auf erlaubte zeichen gescheckt (siehe die _tr function)
-
-    section:
-      '[prefix suffix]'
-       .key == prefix
-       .delim == das leerzeichen (oder tab) vor suffix oder aufs abschliessende ] wenn kein suffix
-
-    kommentar:
-      leere zeile, zeile nur aus leerzeichen und tabulatoren, leerzeichen und tabulatoren gefolgt von # bis zum zeilenende
-      alles ausser vtable auf NULL
-
-    direktive:
-      '@direktive argumente'
-       .key == @
-       .delim == leerzeichen oder tab vor argumente, NULL wenn keine argumente
-
-    configentry:
-      'key = value'
-       .key == key begin
-       .delim == '='
-      'key < redirect'
-       .key == key begin
-       .delim == '>'
-
-   */
-  /*
-   * What should be working (for cehteh) or not yet..
-   *
-   * die Elemente sollten bereits richtig unterschieden werden, die {} sind noch zu füllen.
-   *
-   * */
-
   char* itr = self->line;
 
   /*skip leading whitespaces*/
@@ -226,172 +355,17 @@ lumiera_configitem_parse (LumieraConfigitem self, const char* line)
     }
   else if (*itr == '@' )
     {
-      /*this is a directive*/
-
-      /*itr points now to @*/
-      self->key = itr;
-
-      /*check whether there are illegal whitespaces after @*/
-      itr++;
-      if (*itr && !isspace(*itr))
-        {
-          /*now look for the end of the directive and set the keysize*/
-          self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
-      
-          itr += self->key_size;
-
-          /*we need a key with a length greather than zero and 
-           * either end of line 
-           * or whitespace after key */
-
-          if ( self->key_size && ( !*itr || (*itr && isspace(*itr)) ))
-            {
-              /*look for given arguments*/ 
-
-              /*skip blanks*/
-              while (*itr && isspace (*itr))
-                itr++;
-
-              if (*itr)
-                {
-                  /*there are arguments given, thus set delim*/
-                  self->delim = itr - 1;
-                }
-              else
-                {
-                  /*no arguments were given*/
-                  self->delim = NULL;
-                }
-            }
-          else
-            {
-              /*malformed lines shall be treated like if they were comments*/
-              self->key = NULL;
-              self->key_size = 0;
-
-              LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
-            }
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          /*there occurred already an error right after the @!*/
-          /*malformed lines shall be treated like if they were comments*/
-          self->key = NULL;
-          self->key_size = 0;
-
-          LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
-        } 
+      self = parse_directive (self, itr); /*this is a directive*/
     }
   else if (*itr == '[' )
     {
-      /*this is a section*/
-
-      /*skip blanks before prefix*/
-      itr++;
-      while (*itr && isspace(*itr))
-        itr++;
-
-      /*itr points now to the begin of the key*/
-      self->key = itr;
-
-      /*now look for the end of the key and set the keysize*/
-      self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
-
-      itr += self->key_size;
-
-      /*if the line ends ends with prefix] delim points to ] 
-       * and not the last (blank) character before the final square bracket*/
-      if (self->key_size && *itr && *itr == ']')
-        {
-          self->delim = itr;
-          TODO("self->vtable = &lumiera_configsection_funcs;");
-        }
-      else if (self->key_size && *itr && isspace(*itr))
-        {
-          /* skip blanks until we reach the suffix or the final square bracket*/
-          while (*itr && isspace(*itr))
-            itr++;
-
-          if (*itr && *itr == ']')
-            {
-              /*final square bracket reached, so place delim one char before the 
-               * actual position which must be a whitespace: no extra check necessary*/
-              self->delim = itr - 1;
-              TODO("self->vtable = &lumiera_configsection_funcs;");
-            }
-          else if (*itr)
-            {
-              TODO("check wheter suffix is made of legal characters");
-
-              /*delim points to the last whitespace before the actual position;
-               * no extra check needed*/
-              self->delim = itr - 1;
-              TODO("self->vtable = &lumiera_configsection_funcs;");
-            }
-          else
-            {
-              /*malformed section line, treat this line like a comment*/
-              self->key = NULL;
-              self->key_size = 0;
-
-              LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
-
-            }
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          /*error: either *itr is false, points neither to a blank nor to a closed square 
-           * bracket or the key_size is zero*/
-
-          /*treat this line like a comment*/
-          self->key = NULL;
-          self->key_size = 0;
-
-          LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
-
-        }
+      self = parse_section (self, itr); /*this is a section*/
     }
   else
     {
-      /*this is probably a configentry*/
-
-      /*itr points now to the first not-whitespace-character*/
-      self->key = itr;
-
-      /*now look for the end of the key and set the keysize*/
-      self->key_size = strspn (itr, LUMIERA_CONFIG_KEY_CHARS);
-
-      /* skip blanks */
-      itr += self->key_size;
-      while (*itr && isspace (*itr))
-        itr++;
-
-      if (self->key_size && *itr == '=')
-        {
-          /*this configentry assigns a value to a key*/
-          self->delim = itr;
-          self->vtable = &lumiera_configentry_funcs;
-        }
-      else if (self->key_size && *itr == '<')
-        {
-          /*this configentry is a redirect*/
-          self->delim = itr;
-          self->vtable = &lumiera_configentry_funcs;
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          /*this is not a valid configentry; treat this line like a comment*/
-          self->key = NULL;
-          self->key_size = 0;
-
-          LUMIERA_ERROR_SET (config_item, CONFIG_SYNTAX);
-        }
-
-
+      self = parse_configentry (self, itr); /*this is probably a configentry*/
     }
 
-
-
   return self;
 }