Implement array and object concatenation

path : [ /bin ]
  path : ${path} [ /usr/bin ]

This added very few lines of code or bytecode!
It's just a natural extension of the existing
string concatenation.

But it did add a fair few lines of specification
and tests.

HOCON.md

@@ -231,21 +231,41 @@ reserved keywords to allow future extensions to this spec.
 
 ### Value concatenation
 
-The value of an object field or an array element may consist of
+The value of an object field or array element may consist of
-multiple values which are concatenated into one string.
+multiple values which are combined. There are three kinds of value
+concatenation:
 
-Only simple values participate in value concatenation. Recall that
+ - if all the values are simple values (neither objects nor
-a simple value is any value other than arrays and objects.
+   arrays), they are concatenated into a string.
+ - if all the values are arrays, they are concatenated into
+   one array.
+ - if all the values are objects, they are merged (as with
+   duplicate keys) into one object.
+
+String value concatenation is allowed in object field keys, in
+addition to object field values and array elements. Objects and
+arrays do not make sense as object field keys.
+
+#### String value concatenation
+
+String value concatenation is the trick that makes unquoted
+strings work; it also supports substitutions (`${foo}` syntax) in
+strings.
+
+Only simple values participate in string value
+concatenation. Recall that a simple value is any value other than
+arrays and objects.
 
 As long as simple values are separated only by non-newline
 whitespace, the _whitespace between them is preserved_ and the
 values, along with the whitespace, are concatenated into a string.
 
-Value concatenations never span a newline, or a character that is
+String value concatenations never span a newline, or a character
-not part of a simple value.
+that is not part of a simple value.
 
-A value concatenation may appear in any place that a string may
+A string value concatenation may appear in any place that a string
-appear, including object keys, object values, and array elements.
+may appear, including object keys, object values, and array
+elements.
 
 Whenever a value would appear in JSON, a HOCON parser instead
 collects multiple values (including the whitespace between them)
@@ -261,11 +281,11 @@ whitespace is kept and the leading and trailing whitespace is
 trimmed. The equivalent string, written in quoted form, would be
 `"foo bar baz"`.
 
-Value concatenation `foo bar` (two unquoted strings with
+Value concatenating `foo bar` (two unquoted strings with
 whitespace) and quoted string `"foo bar"` would result in the same
 in-memory representation, seven characters.
 
-For purposes of value concatenation, non-string values are
+For purposes of string value concatenation, non-string values are
 converted to strings as follows (strings shown as quoted strings):
 
  - `true` and `false` become the strings `"true"` and `"false"`.
@@ -278,7 +298,7 @@ converted to strings as follows (strings shown as quoted strings):
    as it was written in the file.
  - a substitution is replaced with its value which is then
    converted to a string as above.
- - it is invalid for arrays or objects to appear in a value
+ - it is invalid for arrays or objects to appear in a string value
    concatenation.
 
 A single value is never converted to a string. That is, it would
@@ -287,6 +307,87 @@ parsed as a boolean-typed value. Only `true foo` (`true` with
 another simple value on the same line) should be parsed as a value
 concatenation and converted to a string.
 
+#### Array and object concatenation
+
+Arrays can be concatenated with arrays, and objects with objects,
+but it is an error if they are mixed.
+
+For purposes of concatenation, "array" also means "substitution
+that resolves to an array" and "object" also means "substitution
+that resolves to an object."
+
+Within an object field value or array element, if only non-newline
+whitespace separates the end of a first array or object or
+substitution from the start of a second array or object or
+substitution, the two values are concatenated. Newlines may occur
+_within_ the array or object, but not _between_ them. Newlines
+_between_ prevent concatenation.
+
+For objects, "concatenation" means "merging", so the second object
+overrides the first.
+
+Arrays and objects cannot be field keys, whether concatenation is
+involved or not.
+
+Here are several ways to define `a` to the same object value:
+
+    // one object
+    a : { b : 1, c : 2 }
+    // two objects that are merged via concatenation rules
+    a : { b : 1 } { c : 2 }
+    // two fields that are merged
+    a : { b : 1 }
+    a : { c : 2 }
+
+Here are several ways to define `a` to the same array value:
+
+    // one array
+    a : [ 1, 2, 3, 4 ]
+    // two arrays that are concatenated
+    a : [ 1, 2 ] [ 3, 4 ]
+    // a later definition referring to an earlier
+    // (see "self-referential substitutions" below)
+    a : [ 1, 2 ]
+    a : ${a} [ 3, 4 ]
+
+A common use of object concatenation is "inheritance":
+
+    data-center-generic = { cluster-size = 6 }
+    data-center-east = ${data-center-generic} { name = "east" }
+
+A common use of array concatenation is to add to paths:
+
+   path = [ /bin ]
+   path = ${path} [ /usr/bin ]
+
+#### Note: Arrays without commas or newlines
+
+Arrays allow you to use newlines instead of commas, but not
+whitespace instead of commas. Non-newline whitespace will produce
+concatenation rather than separate elements.
+
+    // this is an array with one element, the string "1 2 3 4"
+    [ 1 2 3 4 ]
+    // this is an array of four integers
+    [ 1
+      2
+      3
+      4 ]
+
+    // an array of one element, the array [ 1, 2, 3, 4 ]
+    [ [ 1, 2 ] [ 3, 4 ] ]
+    // an array of two arrays
+    [ [ 1, 2 ]
+      [ 3, 4 ] ]
+
+If this gets confusing, just use commas. The concatenation
+behavior is useful rather than surprising in cases like:
+
+    [ This is an unquoted string my name is ${name}, Hello ${world} ]
+    [ ${a} ${b}, ${x} ${y} ]
+
+Non-newline whitespace is never an element or field separator.
+
 ### Path expressions
 
 Path expressions are used to write out a path through the object

README.md

@@ -176,6 +176,9 @@ Tentatively called "Human-Optimized Config Object Notation" or
 HOCON, also called `.conf`, see HOCON.md in this directory for more
 detail.
 
+After processing a `.conf` file, the result is always just a JSON
+tree that you could have written (less conveniently) in JSON.
+
 ### Features of HOCON
 
   - Comments, with `#` or `//`
@@ -328,6 +331,56 @@ value just disappear if the substitution is not found:
     // this array could have one or two elements
     path = [ "a", ${?OPTIONAL_A} ]
 
+### Concatenation
+
+Values _on the same line_ are concatenated (for strings and
+arrays) or merged (for objects).
+
+This is why unquoted strings work, here the number `42` and the
+string `foo` are concatenated into a string `42 foo`:
+
+    key : 42 foo
+
+When concatenating values into a string, leading and trailing
+whitespace is stripped but whitespace between values is kept.
+
+Unquoted strings also support substitutions of course:
+
+    tasks-url : ${base-url}/tasks
+
+A concatenation can refer to earlier values of the same field:
+
+    path : "/bin"
+    path : ${path}":/usr/bin"
+
+Arrays can be concatenated as well:
+
+    path : [ "/bin" ]
+    path : ${path} [ "/usr/bin" ]
+
+When objects are "concatenated," they are merged, so object
+concatenation is just a shorthand for defining the same object
+twice. The long way (mentioned earlier) is:
+
+    data-center-generic = { cluster-size = 6 }
+    data-center-east = ${data-center-generic}
+    data-center-east = { name = "east" }
+
+The concatenation-style shortcut is:
+
+    data-center-generic = { cluster-size = 6 }
+    data-center-east = ${data-center-generic} { name = "east" }
+
+When concatenating objects and arrays, newlines are allowed
+_inside_ each object or array, but not between them.
+
+Non-newline whitespace is never a field or element separator. So
+`[ 1 2 3 4 ]` is an array with one unquoted string element
+`"1 2 3 4"`. To get an array of four numbers you need either commas or
+newlines separating the numbers.
+
+See the spec for full details on concatenation.
+
 ## Future Directions
 
 Here are some features that might be nice to add.
@@ -337,13 +390,6 @@ Here are some features that might be nice to add.
    deterministic order based on their filename.
    If you include a file and it turns out to be a directory then
    it would be processed in this way.
- - some way to merge array types. One approach could be:
-   `searchPath=${searchPath} ["/usr/local/foo"]`, here
-   arrays would have to be merged if a series of them appear after
-   a key, similar to how strings are concatenated already.
-   For consistency, maybe objects would also support this
-   syntax, though there's an existing way to merge objects
-   (duplicate fields).
  - including URLs (which would allow forcing file: when inside
    a classpath resource, among other things)
 

config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/ConfigConcatenation.java

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigException;
+import com.typesafe.config.ConfigObject;
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigOrigin;
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigValueType;
 
@@ -29,6 +30,22 @@ final class ConfigConcatenation extends AbstractConfigValue implements Unmergeab
     ConfigConcatenation(ConfigOrigin origin, List<AbstractConfigValue> pieces) {
         super(origin);
         this.pieces = pieces;
+
+        if (pieces.size() < 2)
+            throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken("Created concatenation with less than 2 items: "
+                    + this);
+
+        boolean hadUnmergeable = false;
+        for (AbstractConfigValue p : pieces) {
+            if (p instanceof ConfigConcatenation)
+                throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken(
+                        "ConfigConcatenation should never be nested: " + this);
+            if (p instanceof Unmergeable)
+                hadUnmergeable = true;
+        }
+        if (!hadUnmergeable)
+            throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken(
+                    "Created concatenation without an unmergeable in it: " + this);
     }
 
     private ConfigException.NotResolved notResolved() {
@@ -65,6 +82,85 @@ final class ConfigConcatenation extends AbstractConfigValue implements Unmergeab
         return Collections.singleton(this);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Add left and right, or their merger, to builder.
+     */
+    private static void join(ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue> builder,
+            AbstractConfigValue right) {
+        AbstractConfigValue left = builder.get(builder.size() - 1);
+        // Since this depends on the type of two instances, I couldn't think
+        // of much alternative to an instanceof chain. Visitors are sometimes
+        // used for multiple dispatch but seems like overkill.
+        AbstractConfigValue joined = null;
+        if (left instanceof ConfigObject && right instanceof ConfigObject) {
+            joined = right.withFallback(left);
+        } else if (left instanceof SimpleConfigList && right instanceof SimpleConfigList) {
+            joined = ((SimpleConfigList)left).concatenate((SimpleConfigList)right);
+        } else if (left instanceof ConfigConcatenation || right instanceof ConfigConcatenation) {
+            throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken("unflattened ConfigConcatenation");
+        } else if (left instanceof Unmergeable || right instanceof Unmergeable) {
+            // leave joined=null, cannot join
+        } else {
+            // handle primitive type or primitive type mixed with object or list
+            String s1 = left.transformToString();
+            String s2 = right.transformToString();
+            if (s1 == null || s2 == null) {
+                throw new ConfigException.WrongType(left.origin(),
+                        "Cannot concatenate object or list with a non-object-or-list, " + left
+                                + " and " + right + " are not compatible");
+            } else {
+                ConfigOrigin joinedOrigin = SimpleConfigOrigin.mergeOrigins(left.origin(),
+                        right.origin());
+                joined = new ConfigString(joinedOrigin, s1 + s2);
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (joined == null) {
+            builder.add(right);
+        } else {
+            builder.remove(builder.size() - 1);
+            builder.add(joined);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static List<AbstractConfigValue> consolidate(List<AbstractConfigValue> pieces) {
+        if (pieces.size() < 2) {
+            return pieces;
+        } else {
+            List<AbstractConfigValue> flattened = new ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue>(pieces.size());
+            for (AbstractConfigValue v : pieces) {
+                if (v instanceof ConfigConcatenation) {
+                    flattened.addAll(((ConfigConcatenation) v).pieces);
+                } else {
+                    flattened.add(v);
+                }
+            }
+
+            ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue> consolidated = new ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue>(
+                    flattened.size());
+            for (AbstractConfigValue v : flattened) {
+                if (consolidated.isEmpty())
+                    consolidated.add(v);
+                else
+                    join(consolidated, v);
+            }
+
+            return consolidated;
+        }
+    }
+
+    static AbstractConfigValue concatenate(List<AbstractConfigValue> pieces) {
+        List<AbstractConfigValue> consolidated = consolidate(pieces);
+        if (consolidated.isEmpty()) {
+            return null;
+        } else if (consolidated.size() == 1) {
+            return consolidated.get(0);
+        } else {
+            ConfigOrigin mergedOrigin = SimpleConfigOrigin.mergeOrigins(consolidated);
+            return new ConfigConcatenation(mergedOrigin, consolidated);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     AbstractConfigValue resolveSubstitutions(ResolveContext context) throws NotPossibleToResolve {
         List<AbstractConfigValue> resolved = new ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue>(pieces.size());
@@ -75,28 +171,16 @@ final class ConfigConcatenation extends AbstractConfigValue implements Unmergeab
             if (r == null) {
                 // it was optional... omit
             } else {
-                switch (r.valueType()) {
+                resolved.add(r);
-                case LIST:
-                case OBJECT:
-                    // cannot substitute lists and objects into strings
-                    // we know p was a ConfigReference since it wasn't
-                    // a ConfigString
-                    String pathString = ((ConfigReference) p).expression().toString();
-                    throw new ConfigException.WrongType(r.origin(), pathString,
-                            "not a list or object", r.valueType().name());
-                default:
-                    resolved.add(r);
-                }
             }
         }
 
         // now need to concat everything
-        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        List<AbstractConfigValue> joined = consolidate(resolved);
-        for (AbstractConfigValue r : resolved) {
+        if (joined.size() != 1)
-            sb.append(r.transformToString());
+            throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken(
-        }
+                    "Resolved list should always join to exactly one value, not " + joined);
-
+        return joined.get(0);
-        return new ConfigString(origin(), sb.toString());
     }
 
     @Override

config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/Parser.java

@@ -246,6 +246,14 @@ final class Parser {
             }
         }
 
+        private static SubstitutionExpression tokenToSubstitutionExpression(Token valueToken) {
+            List<Token> expression = Tokens.getSubstitutionPathExpression(valueToken);
+            Path path = parsePathExpression(expression.iterator(), valueToken.origin());
+            boolean optional = Tokens.getSubstitutionOptional(valueToken);
+
+            return new SubstitutionExpression(path, optional);
+        }
+
         // merge a bunch of adjacent values into one
         // value; change unquoted text into a string
         // value.
@@ -254,18 +262,39 @@ final class Parser {
             if (flavor == ConfigSyntax.JSON)
                 return;
 
-            List<Token> values = null; // create only if we have value tokens
+            // create only if we have value tokens
+            List<AbstractConfigValue> values = null;
             TokenWithComments firstValueWithComments = null;
-            TokenWithComments t = nextTokenIgnoringNewline(); // ignore a
+            // ignore a newline up front
-                                                              // newline up
+            TokenWithComments t = nextTokenIgnoringNewline();
-                                                              // front
+            while (true) {
-            while (Tokens.isValue(t.token) || Tokens.isUnquotedText(t.token)
+                AbstractConfigValue v = null;
-                    || Tokens.isSubstitution(t.token)) {
+                if (Tokens.isValue(t.token)) {
+                    // if we consolidateValueTokens() multiple times then
+                    // this value could be a concatenation, object, array,
+                    // or substitution already.
+                    v = Tokens.getValue(t.token);
+                } else if (Tokens.isUnquotedText(t.token)) {
+                    v = new ConfigString(t.token.origin(), Tokens.getUnquotedText(t.token));
+                } else if (Tokens.isSubstitution(t.token)) {
+                    v = new ConfigReference(t.token.origin(),
+                            tokenToSubstitutionExpression(t.token));
+                } else if (t.token == Tokens.OPEN_CURLY || t.token == Tokens.OPEN_SQUARE) {
+                    // there may be newlines _within_ the objects and arrays
+                    v = parseValue(t);
+                } else {
+                    break;
+                }
+
+                if (v == null)
+                    throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken("no value");
+
                 if (values == null) {
-                    values = new ArrayList<Token>();
+                    values = new ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue>();
                     firstValueWithComments = t;
                 }
-                values.add(t.token);
+                values.add(v);
+
                 t = nextToken(); // but don't consolidate across a newline
             }
             // the last one wasn't a value token
@@ -274,79 +303,10 @@ final class Parser {
             if (values == null)
                 return;
 
-            if (values.size() == 1 && Tokens.isValue(firstValueWithComments.token)) {
+            AbstractConfigValue consolidated = ConfigConcatenation.concatenate(values);
-                // a single value token requires no consolidation
-                putBack(firstValueWithComments);
-                return;
-            }
 
-            // this will be a list of String and SubstitutionExpression
+            putBack(new TokenWithComments(Tokens.newValue(consolidated),
-            List<Object> minimized = new ArrayList<Object>();
+                    firstValueWithComments.comments));
-
-            // we have multiple value tokens or one unquoted text token;
-            // collapse into a string token.
-            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
-            ConfigOrigin firstOrigin = null;
-            for (Token valueToken : values) {
-                if (Tokens.isValue(valueToken)) {
-                    AbstractConfigValue v = Tokens.getValue(valueToken);
-                    sb.append(v.transformToString());
-                    if (firstOrigin == null)
-                        firstOrigin = v.origin();
-                } else if (Tokens.isUnquotedText(valueToken)) {
-                    String text = Tokens.getUnquotedText(valueToken);
-                    if (firstOrigin == null)
-                        firstOrigin = valueToken.origin();
-                    sb.append(text);
-                } else if (Tokens.isSubstitution(valueToken)) {
-                    if (firstOrigin == null)
-                        firstOrigin = valueToken.origin();
-
-                    if (sb.length() > 0) {
-                        // save string so far
-                        minimized.add(sb.toString());
-                        sb.setLength(0);
-                    }
-                    // now save substitution
-                    List<Token> expression = Tokens
-                            .getSubstitutionPathExpression(valueToken);
-                    Path path = parsePathExpression(expression.iterator(), valueToken.origin());
-                    boolean optional = Tokens.getSubstitutionOptional(valueToken);
-
-                    minimized.add(new SubstitutionExpression(path, optional));
-                } else {
-                    throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken(
-                            "should not be trying to consolidate token: "
-                                    + valueToken);
-                }
-            }
-
-            if (sb.length() > 0) {
-                // save string so far
-                minimized.add(sb.toString());
-            }
-
-            if (minimized.isEmpty())
-                throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken(
-                        "trying to consolidate values to nothing");
-
-            Token consolidated = null;
-
-            if (minimized.size() == 1 && minimized.get(0) instanceof String) {
-                consolidated = Tokens.newString(firstOrigin,
-                        (String) minimized.get(0));
-            } else if (minimized.size() == 1 && minimized.get(0) instanceof SubstitutionExpression) {
-                // a substitution expression ${}
-                consolidated = Tokens.newValue(new ConfigReference(firstOrigin,
-                        (SubstitutionExpression) minimized.get(0)));
-            } else {
-                // a value concatenation with a substitution expression in it
-                List<AbstractConfigValue> vs = ConfigConcatenation.valuesFromPieces(
-                        firstOrigin, minimized);
-                consolidated = Tokens.newValue(new ConfigConcatenation(firstOrigin, vs));
-            }
-
-            putBack(new TokenWithComments(consolidated, firstValueWithComments.comments));
         }
 
         private ConfigOrigin lineOrigin() {

config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/SimpleConfigList.java

@@ -400,6 +400,15 @@ final class SimpleConfigList extends AbstractConfigValue implements ConfigList {
         return new SimpleConfigList(newOrigin, value);
     }
 
+    final SimpleConfigList concatenate(SimpleConfigList other) {
+        ConfigOrigin combinedOrigin = SimpleConfigOrigin.mergeOrigins(origin(), other.origin());
+        List<AbstractConfigValue> combined = new ArrayList<AbstractConfigValue>(value.size()
+                + other.value.size());
+        combined.addAll(value);
+        combined.addAll(other.value);
+        return new SimpleConfigList(combinedOrigin, combined);
+    }
+
     // This ridiculous hack is because some JDK versions apparently can't
     // serialize an array, which is used to implement ArrayList and EmptyList.
     // maybe

config/src/main/java/com/typesafe/config/impl/SimpleConfigOrigin.java

@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ final class SimpleConfigOrigin implements ConfigOrigin, Serializable {
     final private List<String> commentsOrNull;
 
     protected SimpleConfigOrigin(String description, int lineNumber, int endLineNumber,
-            OriginType originType,
+            OriginType originType, String urlOrNull, List<String> commentsOrNull) {
- String urlOrNull, List<String> commentsOrNull) {
         this.description = description;
         this.lineNumber = lineNumber;
         this.endLineNumber = endLineNumber;
@@ -308,6 +307,18 @@ final class SimpleConfigOrigin implements ConfigOrigin, Serializable {
         }
     }
 
+    static ConfigOrigin mergeOrigins(ConfigOrigin a, ConfigOrigin b) {
+        return mergeTwo((SimpleConfigOrigin) a, (SimpleConfigOrigin) b);
+    }
+
+    static ConfigOrigin mergeOrigins(List<? extends AbstractConfigValue> stack) {
+        List<ConfigOrigin> origins = new ArrayList<ConfigOrigin>(stack.size());
+        for (AbstractConfigValue v : stack) {
+            origins.add(v.origin());
+        }
+        return mergeOrigins(origins);
+    }
+
     static ConfigOrigin mergeOrigins(Collection<? extends ConfigOrigin> stack) {
         if (stack.isEmpty()) {
             throw new ConfigException.BugOrBroken("can't merge empty list of origins");

config/src/test/scala/com/typesafe/config/impl/ConcatenationTest.scala

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import com.typesafe.config.ConfigException
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigResolveOptions
 import com.typesafe.config.Config
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
 
 class ConcatenationTest extends TestUtils {
 
@@ -44,22 +45,35 @@ class ConcatenationTest extends TestUtils {
 
     @Test
     def noObjectsInStringConcat() {
-        val e = intercept[ConfigException.Parse] {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.WrongType] {
             parseConfig(""" a : abc { x : y } """)
         }
         assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
-            e.getMessage.contains("Expecting") &&
+            e.getMessage.contains("Cannot concatenate") &&
-                e.getMessage.contains("'{'"))
+                e.getMessage.contains("abc") &&
+                e.getMessage.contains("""{"x" : "y"}"""))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def noObjectConcatWithNull() {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.WrongType] {
+            parseConfig(""" a : null { x : y } """)
+        }
+        assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
+            e.getMessage.contains("Cannot concatenate") &&
+                e.getMessage.contains("null") &&
+                e.getMessage.contains("""{"x" : "y"}"""))
     }
 
     @Test
     def noArraysInStringConcat() {
-        val e = intercept[ConfigException.Parse] {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.WrongType] {
-            parseConfig(""" a : abc { x : y } """)
+            parseConfig(""" a : abc [1, 2] """)
         }
         assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
-            e.getMessage.contains("Expecting") &&
+            e.getMessage.contains("Cannot concatenate") &&
-                e.getMessage.contains("'{'"))
+                e.getMessage.contains("abc") &&
+                e.getMessage.contains("[1,2]"))
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -68,8 +82,8 @@ class ConcatenationTest extends TestUtils {
             parseConfig(""" a : abc ${x}, x : { y : z } """).resolve()
         }
         assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
-            e.getMessage.contains("not a list or object") &&
+            e.getMessage.contains("Cannot concatenate") &&
-                e.getMessage.contains("OBJECT"))
+                e.getMessage.contains("abc"))
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -78,7 +92,157 @@ class ConcatenationTest extends TestUtils {
             parseConfig(""" a : abc ${x}, x : [1,2] """).resolve()
         }
         assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
-            e.getMessage.contains("not a list or object") &&
+            e.getMessage.contains("Cannot concatenate") &&
-                e.getMessage.contains("LIST"))
+                e.getMessage.contains("abc"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def noSubstitutionsListConcat() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a :  [1,2] [3,4]  """)
+        assertEquals(Seq(1, 2, 3, 4), conf.getList("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def listConcatWithSubstitutions() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a :  ${x} [3,4] ${y}, x : [1,2], y : [5,6]  """).resolve()
+        assertEquals(Seq(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), conf.getList("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def listConcatSelfReferential() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [1, 2], a : ${a} [3,4], a : ${a} [5,6]  """).resolve()
+        assertEquals(Seq(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), conf.getList("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def noSubstitutionsListConcatCannotSpanLines() {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.Parse] {
+            parseConfig(""" a :  [1,2]
+                [3,4]  """)
+        }
+        assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
+            e.getMessage.contains("expecting") &&
+                e.getMessage.contains("'['"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def listConcatCanSpanLinesInsideBrackets() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a :  [1,2
+               ] [3,4]  """)
+        assertEquals(Seq(1, 2, 3, 4), conf.getList("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def noSubstitutionsObjectConcat() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : { b : c } { x : y }  """)
+        assertEquals(Map("b" -> "c", "x" -> "y"), conf.getObject("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectConcatMergeOrder() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : { b : 1 } { b : 2 } { b : 3 } { b : 4 } """)
+        assertEquals(4, conf.getInt("a.b"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectConcatWithSubstitutions() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : ${x} { b : 1 } ${y}, x : { a : 0 }, y : { c : 2 } """).resolve()
+        assertEquals(Map("a" -> 0, "b" -> 1, "c" -> 2), conf.getObject("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectConcatSelfReferential() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : { a : 0 }, a : ${a} { b : 1 }, a : ${a} { c : 2 } """).resolve()
+        assertEquals(Map("a" -> 0, "b" -> 1, "c" -> 2), conf.getObject("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectConcatSelfReferentialOverride() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : { b : 3 }, a : { b : 2 } ${a} """).resolve()
+        assertEquals(Map("b" -> 3), conf.getObject("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def noSubstitutionsObjectConcatCannotSpanLines() {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.Parse] {
+            parseConfig(""" a :  { b : c }
+                    { x : y }""")
+        }
+        assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage,
+            e.getMessage.contains("expecting") &&
+                e.getMessage.contains("'{'"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectConcatCanSpanLinesInsideBraces() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a :  { b : c
+    } { x : y }  """)
+        assertEquals(Map("b" -> "c", "x" -> "y"), conf.getObject("a").unwrapped().asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def stringConcatInsideArrayValue() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [ foo bar 10 ] """)
+        assertEquals(Seq("foo bar 10"), conf.getStringList("a").asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def stringNonConcatInsideArrayValue() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [ foo
+                bar
+                10 ] """)
+        assertEquals(Seq("foo", "bar", "10"), conf.getStringList("a").asScala)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectConcatInsideArrayValue() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [ { b : c } { x : y } ] """)
+        assertEquals(Seq(Map("b" -> "c", "x" -> "y")), conf.getObjectList("a").asScala.map(_.unwrapped().asScala))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectNonConcatInsideArrayValue() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [ { b : c }
+                { x : y } ] """)
+        assertEquals(Seq(Map("b" -> "c"), Map("x" -> "y")), conf.getObjectList("a").asScala.map(_.unwrapped().asScala))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def listConcatInsideArrayValue() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [ [1, 2] [3, 4] ] """)
+        assertEquals(List(List(1, 2, 3, 4)),
+            // well that's a little silly
+            conf.getList("a").unwrapped().asScala.toList.map(_.asInstanceOf[java.util.List[_]].asScala.toList))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def listNonConcatInsideArrayValue() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" a : [ [1, 2]
+                [3, 4] ] """)
+        assertEquals(List(List(1, 2), List(3, 4)),
+            // well that's a little silly
+            conf.getList("a").unwrapped().asScala.toList.map(_.asInstanceOf[java.util.List[_]].asScala.toList))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def stringConcatsAreKeys() {
+        val conf = parseConfig(""" 123 foo : "value" """)
+        assertEquals("value", conf.getString("123 foo"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def objectsAreNotKeys() {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.Parse] {
+            parseConfig("""{ { a : 1 } : "value" }""")
+        }
+        assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage, e.getMessage.contains("expecting a close") && e.getMessage.contains("'{'"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    def arraysAreNotKeys() {
+        val e = intercept[ConfigException.Parse] {
+            parseConfig("""{ [ "a" ] : "value" }""")
+        }
+        assertTrue("wrong exception: " + e.getMessage, e.getMessage.contains("expecting a close") && e.getMessage.contains("'['"))
     }
 }