implemented some suggestions from steven

cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state

@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ file="$(cat "$__object/parameter/file")"
 export delimiter="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")"
 export value="$(cat "$__object/parameter/value" 2>/dev/null \
    || echo "__CDIST_NOTSET__")"
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/exact_delimiter" ]; then
+    export exact_delimiter=1
+else
+    export exact_delimiter=0
+fi
 
 awk -f - "$file" <<"AWK_EOF"
 BEGIN {
@@ -34,27 +39,48 @@ BEGIN {
     key=ENVIRON["key"]
     delimiter=ENVIRON["delimiter"]
     value=ENVIRON["value"]
-    keydel=key delimiter
-    line=keydel value
+    exact_delimiter=ENVIRON["exact_delimiter"]
     found=0
 }
 # enter the main loop
 {
-    i = index($0,keydel)
+    i = index($0,key)
     if(i == 1) {
+        delval = substr($0,length(key)+1)
+        delpos = index(delval,delimiter)
+        if(delpos > 1) {
+            spaces = substr(delval,1,delpos-1)
+            sub(/[ \t]*/,"",spaces)
+            if( length(spaces) > 0 ) {
+                # if there are not only spaces between key and delimiter,
+                # continue since we we are on the wrong line
+                next
+            }
+            if( exact_delimiter == 1) {
+                # we have key and delimiter, but since additional spaces are not alowed
+                # return wrongformat
+                found=1
+                print "wrongformat"
+                exit
+            }
+        }
         found=1
         if(state == "absent") {
             # on state absent, only the ocurance is relevant, so exit here
             print "present"
             exit
         }
+        linevalue=substr(delval,delpos + length(delimiter))
+        if(exact_delimiter == 0){
+            #ok, now strip tabs and whitespaces at the beginning of the value
+            sub(/[ \t]*/,"",linevalue)
+        }
         # Key with separator found
-        if($0 == line) {
+        if(linevalue == value) {
             # exact match found, so state is present
             print "present"
         }
         else {
-            # not value is wrong ...
             print "wrongvalue"
         }
         exit

cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote

@@ -21,21 +21,49 @@
 #
 #set -x
 
-key="$__object_id"
-[ -f "$__object/parameter/key" ] && key="$(cat "$__object/parameter/key")"
 
 state_should="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state")"
-
-file="$(cat "$__object/parameter/file")"
 state_is="$(cat "$__object/explorer/state")"
 
-[ "$state_is" = "$state_should" ] && exit 0
+if [  "$state_is" = "$state_should" ]; then
+    exit 0
+fi
 
-# here we check only if the states are valid, let awk do the work ...
+file="$(cat "$__object/parameter/file")"
+key="$__object_id"
+[ -f "$__object/parameter/key" ] && key="$(cat "$__object/parameter/key")"
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/exact_delimiter" ]; then
+    export exact_delimiter=1
+else
+    export exact_delimiter=0
+fi
+
+# here we check only if the states are valid,
+# emmit messages and 
+# let awk do the work ...
 case "$state_should" in
-    absent|present)
+    absent)
         case "$state_is" in
-            absent|wrongvalue|present)
+            absent)
+                # nothing to do
+            ;;
+            wrongformat|wrongvalue|present)
+                echo removed >> "$__messages_out"
+            ;;
+            *)
+                echo "Unknown explorer state: $state_is" >&2
+                exit 1
+        esac
+    present)
+        case "$state_is" in
+            absent)
+                echo inserted >> "$__messages_out"
+            ;;
+            wrongformated|wrongvalue)
+                echo changed >> "$__messages_out"
+            ;;
+            present)
+                # nothing to do
             ;;
             *)
                 echo "Unknown explorer state: $state_is" >&2
@@ -56,16 +84,20 @@ export key="\$(cat <<"__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
 $key
 __CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
 )"
-export delimiter="\$(cat <<"__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
-$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")
-__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
-)"
 export value="\$(cat <<"__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
 $(cat "$__object/parameter/value")
 __CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
 )"
+export delimiter="\$(cat <<"__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
+$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")
+__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
+)"
+export exact_delimiter="\$(cat <<"__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
+$exact_delimiter
+__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
+)"
 export comment="\$(cat <<"__CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER"
-$(cat "$__object/parameter/comment_line")
+$(cat "$__object/parameter/comment")
 __CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
 )"
 
@@ -80,17 +112,33 @@ BEGIN {
     delimiter=ENVIRON["delimiter"]
     value=ENVIRON["value"]
     comment=ENVIRON["comment"]
-    keydel=key delimiter
-    line=keydel value
+    exact_delimiter=ENVIRON["exact_delimiter"]
     inserted=0
     ll=""
     llpopulated=0
+    line=key delimiter value
 }
 # enter the main loop
 {
     # I dont use regex, this is by design, so we can match against every value without special meanings of chars ...
-    i = index(\$0,keydel)
+    i = index(\$0,key)
     if(i == 1) {
+        delval = substr(\$0,length(key)+1)
+        delpos = index(delval,delimiter)
+        if(delpos > 1) {
+            spaces = substr(delval,1,delpos-1)
+            sub(/[ \t]*/,"",spaces)
+            if( length(spaces) > 0 ) {
+                # if there are not only spaces between key and delimiter,
+                # continue since we we are on the wrong line
+                if(llpopulated == 1) {
+                    print ll
+                }
+                ll=\$0
+                llpopulated=1
+                next
+            }
+        }
         if(state == "absent") {
             if(ll == comment) {
                 # if comment is present, clear llpopulated flag
@@ -136,4 +184,5 @@ END {
 }
 AWK_EOF
 mv -f "\$tmpfile" "$file"
+exit 1
 __CDIST_HEREDOC_END_HERE_MARKER

cdist/conf/type/__key_value/man.text

@@ -31,9 +31,28 @@ key::
     The key to change. Defaults to object_id.
 value::
     The value for the key. Optional if state=absent, required otherwise.
-comment_line::
-    If supplied, the comment line is inserted before the line with key and value,
-    but only if key or value is about to be changed.
+comment::
+    If supplied, the value will be inserted before the line with the key,
+    but only if the key or value must be changed.
+    You need to ensure yourself that the line is prefixed with the correct
+    comment sign. (for example # or ; or wathever ..)
+
+
+BOOLEAN PARAMETERS
+------------------
+exact_delimiter::
+    If supplied, thread additional whitespaces between key, delimiter and value
+    as wrong value.
+
+
+MESSAGES
+--------
+removed::
+    Line with key was removed
+inserted::
+    A new line was inserted
+changed::
+    An existing line was changed
 
 
 EXAMPLES
@@ -58,11 +77,9 @@ __key_value LEGACY_KEY --file /etc/somefile --state absent --delimiter '='
 
 MORE INFORMATION
 ----------------
-This type does not use regex to avoid quoting problems.
-So you need to specify the key and delimiteri exactly.
-Delimiter can be one or more characters.
-Due to shell limitations, we have some values which can not be used.
-These values are:
+This type try to handle as many values as possible, so it doen't use regexes.
+So you need to exatly specify the key and delimiter. Delimiter can be of any lenght.
+Due to shell limitations, we have some values which you can't use, this values are:
 __CDIST_HEREDOC_END_HERE_MARKER
 __CDIST_INPUT_END_HERE_MARKER
 

cdist/conf/type/__key_value/parameter/boolean

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exact_delimiter

cdist/conf/type/__key_value/parameter/default/comment

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+

cdist/conf/type/__key_value/parameter/optional

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 key
 value
 state
-comment_line
+comment