configure now takes a filename or object

lib/log4js.js

@@ -591,16 +591,19 @@ module.exports = function (fileSystem, standardOutput, configPaths) {
         }
     }
 
-    function configure (configurationFile) {
+    function configure (configurationFileOrObject) {
-	if (configurationFile) {
+	var config = configurationFileOrObject;
-            try {
+	if (typeof(config) === "string") {
-	        var config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(configurationFile, "utf8"));
+	    config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(config, "utf8"));
-	        configureAppenders(config.appenders, fileAppender, consoleAppender);
+        }
-	        configureLevels(config.levels);
+	if (config) {
+	    try {
+		configureAppenders(config.appenders, fileAppender, consoleAppender);
+		configureLevels(config.levels);
             } catch (e) {
-                throw new Error("Problem reading log4js config file " + configurationFile + ". Error was \"" + e.message + "\" ("+e.stack+")");
+		throw new Error("Problem reading log4js config " + sys.inspect(config) + ". Error was \"" + e.message + "\" ("+e.stack+")");
             }
-        }
+	}
     }
 
     function findConfiguration() {

test/logging.js

@@ -242,7 +242,25 @@ vows.describe('log4js').addBatch({
             delete messages['tmp-test.log'];
             log4js.configure('test/with-log-rolling.json');
             assert.equal(messages.watchedFile, 'tmp-test.log');
-        }            
+        },
+        'should handle an object or a file name': function(args) {
+	    var log4js = args[0], 
+	    messages = args[1],
+	    config = {
+		"appenders": [
+		    {
+			"type" : "file",
+			"filename" : "cheesy-wotsits.log",
+			"maxLogSize" : 1024,
+			"backups" : 3,
+			"pollInterval" : 15
+		    }
+		]
+	    };
+	    delete messages['cheesy-wotsits.log'];
+	    log4js.configure(config);
+	    assert.equal(messages.watchedFile, 'cheesy-wotsits.log');
+	}
     },
 
     'with no appenders defined' : {