4 files changed, 91 insertions, 4 deletions
diff --git a/doc/changes.rst b/doc/changes.rst
index a0a5d278..67f5e8aa 100644
--- a/doc/changes.rst
+++ b/doc/changes.rst
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ Version 3.3
   combined with "coverage combine" are deleted after they're combined, to clean
   up unneeded files. Fixes `issue 40`_.
 
-- Fixed a problem with nested loops having their branch possibilities
-  mischaracterized: `issue 39`_.
-
 - Exceptions thrown from product code run with "coverage run" are now displayed
   without internal coverage.py frames, so the output is the same as when the
   code is run without coverage.py.
 
+- Fixed `issue 39`_ and `issue 47`.
+
 .. _issue 39: http://bitbucket.org/ned/coveragepy/issue/39
 .. _issue 40: http://bitbucket.org/ned/coveragepy/issue/40
+.. _issue 47: http://bitbucket.org/ned/coveragepy/issue/47
 
 
 Version 3.2, 5 December 2009
diff --git a/doc/cmd.rst b/doc/cmd.rst
index ab93845e..08a966e4 100644
--- a/doc/cmd.rst
+++ b/doc/cmd.rst
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Coverage command line usage
 :history: 20090913T084400, new command line syntax
 :history: 20091004T170700, changes for 3.1
 :history: 20091127T200700, changes for 3.2
+:history: 20100223T200600, changes for 3.3
 
 .. highlight:: console
 
@@ -35,6 +36,12 @@ which determine the action performed:
 Help is available with ``coverage help``, or with the ``--help`` switch on any
 other command.
 
+Version information for coverage.py can be displayed with ``--version``.
+
+Any command can use a configuration file by specifying it with the
+``--rcfile=FILE`` command-line switch.  See :ref:`Configuration Files <config>`
+for more details.
+
 
 Execution
 ---------
diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..355cf449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+.. _config:
+
+===================
+Configuration files
+===================
+
+:history: 20100223T201600, new for 3.3
+
+Coverage.py options can be specified in a configuration file.  This makes it
+easier to re-run coverage with consistent settings, and also allows for
+specification of options that are otherwise only available in the
+:ref:`API <api>`.
+
+Configuration files also make it easier to get coverage testing of spawned
+sub-processes.  See :ref:`Subprocess measurement <subprocess>` for more details.
+
+
+
+Syntax
+------
+
+A coverage.py configuration file is in classic .ini file format: sections are
+introduced by a ``[section]`` header, and contain ``name = value`` entries.
+Lines beginning with ``#`` or ``;`` are ignored as comments.
+
+Multi-line entries can be created by indenting values on multiple lines.
+
+Boolean values can be specified as ``on``, ``off``, ``true``, ``false``, ``1``,
+or ``0``.
+
+Many sections and values correspond roughly to commands and options in the
+command-line interface.
+
+
+[run]
+-----
+
+These values are generally used when running product code, though some apply
+to more than one command.
+
+``branch`` (boolean): whether to measure :ref:`branch coverage <branch>`.
+
+``cover_pylib`` (boolean): whether to measure the Python standard library.
+
+``data_file`` (string): the name of the data file to use for storing or
+reporting coverage.
+
+``parallel`` (boolean):
+
+``timid`` (boolean):
+
+
+[report]
+--------
+
+Values common to many kinds of reporting.
+
+``exclude_lines`` (multi-string):
+
+``ignore_errors`` (boolean):
+
+``omit`` (multi-string):
+
+
+[html]
+------
+
+Values particular to HTML reporting.
+
+``directory`` (string):
+
+
+[xml]
+-----
+
+Values particular to XML reporting.
+
+``output`` (string):
+
diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index 053eb7b3..7274599e 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ Getting started is easy:
 
     .. code-block:: console
 
-        $ coverage html -d htmlcov
+        $ coverage html
 
     Then visit htmlcov/index.html in your browser, to see a
     `report like this`__.
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ More information
     :maxdepth: 1
 
     cmd
+    config
     api
     excluding
     branch