Load Simulation Configuration (with defaults & validation)

Reads a text configuration file (KEY = value), merges values with package defaults, validates options, resolves gradient specifications into a tidy table, materialises quadrat sizes, and sets the random seed. This is the only supported public entry point for reading configs; low-level parsing is handled internally.

Usage

load_config(init_file)

Arguments

init_file: Character scalar; path to the configuration file.

Value

A named list P with fully-resolved parameters used by the simulator (including a tidy P$GRADIENT tibble and P$QUADRAT_SIZE).

Details

Supported value forms:

Scalars: 300, TRUE, 0.15, "#22223b".
Comma vectors: A,B,C or 0.1, 0.2, 0.3.
R-style character vectors for inline edgelists: e.g. INTERACTIONS_EDGELIST = c("A,B-D,0.8", "C,A,1.2", "E,*,0.95").
Named entries: A:0.55, temperature:0.12.

You may specify INTERACTIONS_FILE = "path/to/interactions.txt" to point to a separate interactions config, or embed rules directly with INTERACTIONS_EDGELIST = c("A,B-D,0.8", "C,A,1.2"). If neither is provided, interactions default to neutral (all 1.0) with INTERACTION_RADIUS = 0.

Gradient keys supported: temperature, elevation, rainfall. Use GRADIENT_SPECIES, GRADIENT_ASSIGNMENTS, plus either GRADIENT_OPTIMA and GRADIENT_TOLERANCE as scalar, per-species named, or per-gradient named values.

Examples