diff --git a/mercurial/fancyopts.py b/mercurial/fancyopts.py
--- a/mercurial/fancyopts.py
+++ b/mercurial/fancyopts.py
@@ -1,35 +1,74 @@
 import getopt
 
 def fancyopts(args, options, state):
-    long = []
-    short = ''
-    map = {}
-    dt = {}
+    """
+    read args, parse options, and store options in state
+
+    each option is a tuple of:
+
+      short option or ''
+      long option
+      default value
+      description
+
+    option types include:
+
+      boolean or none - option sets variable in state to true
+      string - parameter string is stored in state
+      list - parameter string is added to a list
+      integer - parameter strings is stored as int
+      function - call function with parameter
 
-    for s, l, d, c in options:
-        pl = l.replace('-', '_')
-        map['-'+s] = map['--'+l] = pl
-        if isinstance(d, list):
-            state[pl] = d[:]
+    non-option args are returned
+    """
+    namelist = []
+    shortlist = ''
+    argmap = {}
+    defmap = {}
+
+    for short, name, default, comment in options:
+        # convert opts to getopt format
+        oname = name
+        name = name.replace('-', '_')
+
+        argmap['-' + short] = argmap['--' + oname] = name
+        defmap[name] = default
+
+        # copy defaults to state
+        if isinstance(default, list):
+            state[name] = default[:]
+        elif callable(default):
+            print "whoa", name, default
+            state[name] = None
         else:
-            state[pl] = d
-        dt[pl] = type(d)
-        if (d is not None and d is not True and d is not False and
-            not callable(d)):
-            if s: s += ':'
-            if l: l += '='
-        if s: short = short + s
-        if l: long.append(l)
+            state[name] = default
 
-    opts, args = getopt.getopt(args, short, long)
+        # does it take a parameter?
+        if not (default is None or default is True or default is False):
+            if short: short += ':'
+            if oname: oname += '='
+        if short:
+            shortlist += short
+        if name:
+            namelist.append(oname)
+
+    # parse arguments
+    opts, args = getopt.getopt(args, shortlist, namelist)
 
-    for opt, arg in opts:
-        if dt[map[opt]] is type(fancyopts): state[map[opt]](state, map[opt], arg)
-        elif dt[map[opt]] is type(1): state[map[opt]] = int(arg)
-        elif dt[map[opt]] is type(''): state[map[opt]] = arg
-        elif dt[map[opt]] is type([]): state[map[opt]].append(arg)
-        elif dt[map[opt]] is type(None): state[map[opt]] = True
-        elif dt[map[opt]] is type(False): state[map[opt]] = True
+    # transfer result to state
+    for opt, val in opts:
+        name = argmap[opt]
+        t = type(defmap[name])
+        if t is type(fancyopts):
+            state[name] = defmap[name](val)
+        elif t is type(1):
+            state[name] = int(val)
+        elif t is type(''):
+            state[name] = val
+        elif t is type([]):
+            state[name].append(val)
+        elif t is type(None) or t is type(False):
+            state[name] = True
 
+    # return unparsed args
     return args
-