diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 61104e87..10794b77 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@ NEWS ( CHANGELOG and HISTORY )                                     HTMLPurifier
 
 1.3.2, unknown release date, may be dropped
 (security/bugfix/minor feature release)
+! HTMLPurifier object now accepts configuration arrays, no need to manually
+  instantiate a configuration object
+! Context object now accessible to outside
 - printDefinition.php: added labels, added better clarification
+. HTMLPurifier_Config::create() added, takes mixed variable and converts into
+  a HTMLPurifier_Config object.
 
 1.3.1, released 2006-12-06
 ! Added HTMLPurifier.func.php stub for a convenient function to call the library
diff --git a/library/HTMLPurifier.php b/library/HTMLPurifier.php
index 8577e560..f335b2b3 100644
--- a/library/HTMLPurifier.php
+++ b/library/HTMLPurifier.php
@@ -68,15 +68,23 @@ class HTMLPurifier
     
     var $lexer, $strategy, $generator;
     
+    /**
+     * Final HTMLPurifier_Context of last run purification. Might be an array.
+     * @public
+     */
+    var $context;
+    
     /**
      * Initializes the purifier.
      * @param $config Optional HTMLPurifier_Config object for all instances of
      *                the purifier, if omitted, a default configuration is
      *                supplied (which can be overridden on a per-use basis).
+     *                The parameter can also be any type that
+     *                HTMLPurifier_Config::create() supports.
      */
     function HTMLPurifier($config = null) {
         
-        $this->config = $config ? $config : HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
+        $this->config = HTMLPurifier_Config::create($config);
         
         $this->lexer        = HTMLPurifier_Lexer::create();
         $this->strategy     = new HTMLPurifier_Strategy_Core();
@@ -91,22 +99,35 @@ class HTMLPurifier
      * @param $html String of HTML to purify
      * @param $config HTMLPurifier_Config object for this operation, if omitted,
      *                defaults to the config object specified during this
-     *                object's construction.
+     *                object's construction. The parameter can also be any type
+     *                that HTMLPurifier_Config::create() supports.
      * @return Purified HTML
      */
     function purify($html, $config = null) {
-        $config = $config ? $config : $this->config;
+        
+        $config = $config ? HTMLPurifier_Config::create($config) : $this->config;
+        
+        
         $context =& new HTMLPurifier_Context();
         $html = $this->encoder->convertToUTF8($html, $config, $context);
+        
+        // purified HTML
         $html = 
             $this->generator->generateFromTokens(
+                // list of tokens
                 $this->strategy->execute(
-                    $this->lexer->tokenizeHTML($html, $config, $context),
+                    // list of un-purified tokens
+                    $this->lexer->tokenizeHTML(
+                        // un-purified HTML
+                        $html, $config, $context
+                    ),
                     $config, $context
                 ),
                 $config, $context
             );
+        
         $html = $this->encoder->convertFromUTF8($html, $config, $context);
+        $this->context =& $context;
         return $html;
     }
     
diff --git a/library/HTMLPurifier/Config.php b/library/HTMLPurifier/Config.php
index c6a5eba1..39f62855 100644
--- a/library/HTMLPurifier/Config.php
+++ b/library/HTMLPurifier/Config.php
@@ -44,6 +44,20 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Config
         $this->def  = $definition; // keep a copy around for checking
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Convenience constructor that creates a config object based on a mixed var
+     * @param mixed $config Variable that defines the state of the config
+     *                      object. Can be: a HTMLPurifier_Config() object or
+     *                      an array of directives based on loadArray().
+     * @return Configured HTMLPurifier_Config object
+     */
+    function create($config) {
+        if (is_a($config, 'HTMLPurifier_Config')) return $config;
+        $ret = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
+        if (is_array($config)) $ret->loadArray($config);
+        return $ret;
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Convenience constructor that creates a default configuration object.
      * @return Default HTMLPurifier_Config object.
diff --git a/tests/HTMLPurifier/ConfigTest.php b/tests/HTMLPurifier/ConfigTest.php
index 280d79d9..a7eb6115 100644
--- a/tests/HTMLPurifier/ConfigTest.php
+++ b/tests/HTMLPurifier/ConfigTest.php
@@ -180,6 +180,25 @@ class HTMLPurifier_ConfigTest extends UnitTestCase
         
     }
     
+    function test_create() {
+        
+        HTMLPurifier_ConfigSchema::defineNamespace('Cake', 'Properties of it.');
+        HTMLPurifier_ConfigSchema::define('Cake', 'Sprinkles', 666, 'int', 'Number of.');
+        HTMLPurifier_ConfigSchema::define('Cake', 'Flavor', 'vanilla', 'string', 'Flavor of the batter.');
+        
+        $config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
+        $config->set('Cake', 'Sprinkles', 42);
+        
+        // test flat pass-through
+        $created_config = HTMLPurifier_Config::create($config);
+        $this->assertEqual($config, $created_config);
+        
+        // test loadArray
+        $created_config = HTMLPurifier_Config::create(array('Cake.Sprinkles' => 42));
+        $this->assertEqual($config, $created_config);
+        
+    }
+    
 }
 
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/HTMLPurifier/Test.php b/tests/HTMLPurifier/Test.php
index 13ed14ed..9760c6cb 100644
--- a/tests/HTMLPurifier/Test.php
+++ b/tests/HTMLPurifier/Test.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Test extends UnitTestCase
     function testStrict() {
         $config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
         $config->set('HTML', 'Strict', true);
-        $this->purifier = new HTMLPurifier($config);
+        $this->purifier = new HTMLPurifier( $config ); // verbose syntax
         
         $this->assertPurification(
             '<u>Illegal underline</u>',
@@ -40,10 +40,11 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Test extends UnitTestCase
     }
     
     function testDifferentAllowedElements() {
-        $config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
-        $config->set('HTML', 'AllowedElements', array('b', 'i', 'p', 'a'));
-        $config->set('HTML', 'AllowedAttributes', array('a.href', '*.id'));
-        $this->purifier = new HTMLPurifier($config);
+        
+        $this->purifier = new HTMLPurifier(array(
+            'HTML.AllowedElements' => array('b', 'i', 'p', 'a'),
+            'HTML.AllowedAttributes' => array('a.href', '*.id')
+        ));
         
         $this->assertPurification(
             '<p>Par.</p><p>Para<a href="http://google.com/">gr</a>aph</p>Text<b>Bol<i>d</i></b>'
@@ -58,9 +59,7 @@ class HTMLPurifier_Test extends UnitTestCase
     
     function testDisableURI() {
         
-        $config = HTMLPurifier_Config::createDefault();
-        $config->set('Attr', 'DisableURI', true);
-        $this->purifier = new HTMLPurifier($config);
+        $this->purifier = new HTMLPurifier( array('Attr.DisableURI' => true) );
         
         $this->assertPurification(
             '<img src="foobar"/>',