- Each of the follow methods of the Configurator now allow the

  below-named arguments to be passed as "dotted name strings"
  (e.g. "foo.bar.baz") rather than as actual implementation objects
  that must be imported:

  setup_registry
     root_factory, authentication_policy, authorization_policy,
     debug_logger, locale_negotiator, request_factory,
     renderer_globals_factory

  add_subscriber
     subscriber, iface

  derive_view
     view

  add_view
     view, for_, context, request_type, containment

  add_route()
     view, view_for, factory, for_, view_context

  scan
     package

  add_renderer
     factory

  set_forbidden_view
     view

  set_notfound_view
     view

  set_request_factory
     factory

  set_renderer_globals_factory()
     factory

  set_locale_negotiator
     negotiator

  testing_add_subscriber
     event_iface

8 files changed, 53 insertions, 32 deletions

diff --git a/docs/narr/events.rst b/docs/narr/events.rst
index 7f78139bb..6b46cfd9c 100644
--- a/docs/narr/events.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/events.rst
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ need to use ZCML for the same purpose:
 
    The first argument to
    :meth:`repoze.bfg.configuration.Configurator.add_subscriber` is the
-   subscriber function; the second argument is the event type.
+   subscriber function (or a :term:`Python dotted name` which refers
+   to a subscriber callable); the second argument is the event type.
 
 .. topic:: Configuring an Event Listener Through ZCML
 
diff --git a/docs/narr/firstapp.rst b/docs/narr/firstapp.rst
index 01ad88704..deac69fda 100644
--- a/docs/narr/firstapp.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/firstapp.rst
@@ -235,14 +235,15 @@ arguments is known as a view configuration :term:`predicate`.
 
 The line ``config.add_view(hello_world)`` registers the
 ``hello_world`` function as a view callable.  The ``add_view`` method
-of a Configurator must be called with a view callable object as its
-first argument, so the first argument passed is the ``hello_world``
-function.  This line calls ``add_view`` with a *default* value for the
-:term:`predicate` argument, named ``name``.  The ``name`` predicate
-defaults to a value equalling the empty string (``''``).  This means
-that we're instructing :mod:`repoze.bfg` to invoke the ``hello_world``
-view callable when the :term:`view name` is the empty string.  We'll
-learn in later chapters what a :term:`view name` is, and under which
+of a Configurator must be called with a view callable object or a
+:term:`dotted Python name` as its first argument, so the first
+argument passed is the ``hello_world`` function.  This line calls
+``add_view`` with a *default* value for the :term:`predicate`
+argument, named ``name``.  The ``name`` predicate defaults to a value
+equalling the empty string (``''``).  This means that we're
+instructing :mod:`repoze.bfg` to invoke the ``hello_world`` view
+callable when the :term:`view name` is the empty string.  We'll learn
+in later chapters what a :term:`view name` is, and under which
 circumstances a request will have a view name that is the empty
 string; in this particular application, it means that the
 ``hello_world`` view callable will be invoked when the root URL ``/``
diff --git a/docs/narr/hooks.rst b/docs/narr/hooks.rst
index 70e3f3759..b774c2012 100644
--- a/docs/narr/hooks.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/hooks.rst
@@ -351,7 +351,8 @@ request object.
 The class (aka "factory") that :mod:`repoze.bfg` uses to create a
 request object instance can be changed by passing a
 ``request_factory`` argument to the constructor of the
-:term:`configurator`.
+:term:`configurator`.  This argument can be either a callable or a
+:term:`Python dotted name` representing a callable.
 
 .. code-block:: python
    :linenos:
@@ -392,7 +393,7 @@ method:
        pass
 
    config = Configurator()
-   config.set_request_factory(MyRequestFactory)
+   config.set_request_factory(MyRequest)
 
 .. _adding_renderer_globals:
 
@@ -411,7 +412,9 @@ renderer.
 
 A callback that :mod:`repoze.bfg` will call every time a renderer is
 invoked can be added by passing a ``renderer_globals_factory``
-argument to the constructor of the :term:`configurator`.
+argument to the constructor of the :term:`configurator`.  This
+callback can either be a callable object or a :term:`Python dotted
+name` representing such a callable.
 
 .. code-block:: python
    :linenos:
diff --git a/docs/narr/i18n.rst b/docs/narr/i18n.rst
index db1414cce..f456fe03c 100644
--- a/docs/narr/i18n.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/i18n.rst
@@ -1013,10 +1013,10 @@ configuration using either imperative configuration or ZCML.
 
 .. topic:: Using Imperative Configuration
 
-    Pass an object which can act as the negotiator as the
-    ``locale_negotiator`` argument of the
-    :class:`repoze.bfg.configuration.Configurator` instance during
-    application startup.
+    Pass an object which can act as the negotiator (or a :term:`Python
+    dotted name` referring to the object) as the ``locale_negotiator``
+    argument of the :class:`repoze.bfg.configuration.Configurator`
+    instance during application startup.
 
     For example:
 
diff --git a/docs/narr/security.rst b/docs/narr/security.rst
index 13e6d632a..3b1de27ad 100644
--- a/docs/narr/security.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/security.rst
@@ -110,6 +110,11 @@ For example:
    config = Configurator(authentication_policy=authentication_policy,
                          authorization_policy=authorization_policy)
 
+.. note:: the ``authentication_policy`` and ``authorization_policy``
+   arguments may also be passed to the Configurator as :ref:`dotted
+   Python name` values, each representing the dotted name path to a
+   suitable implementation global defined at Python module scope.
+
 The above configuration enables a policy which compares the value of
 an "auth ticket" cookie passed in the request's environment which
 contains a reference to a single :term:`principal` against the
diff --git a/docs/narr/traversal.rst b/docs/narr/traversal.rst
index a99df7ec8..bcad6dd07 100644
--- a/docs/narr/traversal.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/traversal.rst
@@ -183,7 +183,10 @@ Using the ``root_factory`` argument to a
 :class:`repoze.bfg.configuration.Configurator` constructor tells your
 :mod:`repoze.bfg` application to call this root factory to generate a
 root object whenever a request enters the application.  This root
-factory is also known as the global root factory.
+factory is also known as the global root factory.  A root factory can
+alternately be passed to the ``Configurator`` as a :term:`dotted
+Python name` which refers to a root factory object defined in a
+different module.
 
 A root factory is passed a :term:`request` object and it is expected
 to return an object which represents the root of the object graph.
diff --git a/docs/narr/urldispatch.rst b/docs/narr/urldispatch.rst
index 07e96763d..9779113e5 100644
--- a/docs/narr/urldispatch.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/urldispatch.rst
@@ -448,11 +448,11 @@ represent neither predicates nor view configuration information.
   application.
 
 ``factory``
-  A reference to a Python object (often a function or a class) that
-  will generate a :mod:`repoze.bfg` :term:`context` object when this
-  route matches. For example, ``mypackage.models.MyFactoryClass``.  If
-  this argument is not specified, the traversal root factory will be
-  used.
+  A Python object (often a function or a class) or a :term:`Python
+  dotted name` to such an object that will generate a
+  :mod:`repoze.bfg` :term:`context` object when this route
+  matches. For example, ``mypackage.models.MyFactoryClass``.  If this
+  argument is not specified, the traversal root factory will be used.
 
 ``traverse``
   If you would like to cause the :term:`context` to be something other
@@ -573,15 +573,16 @@ represent neither predicates nor view configuration information.
 **View-Related Arguments**
 
 ``view``
-  A reference to a Python object that will be used as a view callable
-  when this route matches. e.g. ``mypackage.views.my_view``.
+  A Python object or a :term:`dotted Python name` to such an object
+  that will be used as a view callable when this route
+  matches. e.g. ``mypackage.views.my_view``.
   
 ``view_context``
-  A reference to a class or an :term:`interface` that the
-  :term:`context` of the view should match for the view named by the
-  route to be used.  This argument is only useful if the ``view``
-  attribute is used.  If this attribute is not specified, the default
-  (``None``) will be used.
+  A class or an :term:`interface` (or a :term:`dotted Python name` to
+  such an object) that the :term:`context` of the view should match
+  for the view named by the route to be used.  This argument is only
+  useful if the ``view`` attribute is used.  If this attribute is not
+  specified, the default (``None``) will be used.
 
   If the ``view`` argument is not provided, this argument has
   no effect.
diff --git a/docs/narr/views.rst b/docs/narr/views.rst
index eebaa63de..4d60f8a9e 100644
--- a/docs/narr/views.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/views.rst
@@ -620,7 +620,8 @@ For example, to add a renderer which renders views which have a
    The first argument is the renderer name.
 
    The second argument is a reference to an implementation of a
-   :term:`renderer factory`.
+   :term:`renderer factory` or a :term:`dotted Python name` referring
+   to such an object.
 
 Adding a New Renderer
 +++++++++++++++++++++
@@ -1537,8 +1538,8 @@ Or replaces the need to add this imperative configuration stanza:
 .. ignore-next-block
 .. code-block:: python
 
-   config.add_view(name='my_view', request_method='POST', context=MyModel,
-                   permission='read')
+   config.add_view('.views.my_view', name='my_view', request_method='POST', 
+                   context=MyModel, permission='read')
 
 All arguments to ``bfg_view`` may be omitted.  For example:
 
@@ -1748,6 +1749,12 @@ example:
    # repoze.bfg.configuration.Configurator class
    config.add_view(hello_world, name='hello.html')
 
+The first argument, ``view``, is required.  It must either be a Python
+object which is the view itself or a :term:`dotted Python name` to
+such an object.  All other arguments are optional.  See
+:meth:`repoze.bfg.configuration.Configurator.add_view` for more
+information.
+
 .. index::
    single: model interfaces