--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/06/22 13:06:50	1.752
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/06/22 14:48:40	1.756
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.752 2006/06/22 13:06:50 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.756 2006/06/22 14:48:40 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -281,6 +281,17 @@ sub critical {
     return $answer;
 }
 
+# ------------------------------------------- check if return value is an error
+
+sub error {
+    my ($result) = @_;
+    if ($result =~ /^(con_lost|no_such_host|error: (\d+) (.*))/) {
+	if ($2 == 2) { return undef; }
+	return $1;
+    }
+    return undef;
+}
+
 # ------------------------------------------- Transfer profile into environment
 
 sub transfer_profile_to_env {
@@ -2922,23 +2933,25 @@ sub del {
 # -------------------------------------------------------------- dump interface
 
 sub dump {
-   my ($namespace,$udomain,$uname,$regexp,$range)=@_;
-   if (!$udomain) { $udomain=$env{'user.domain'}; }
-   if (!$uname) { $uname=$env{'user.name'}; }
-   my $uhome=&homeserver($uname,$udomain);
-   if ($regexp) {
-       $regexp=&escape($regexp);
-   } else {
-       $regexp='.';
-   }
-   my $rep=reply("dump:$udomain:$uname:$namespace:$regexp:$range",$uhome);
-   my @pairs=split(/\&/,$rep);
-   my %returnhash=();
-   foreach (@pairs) {
-      my ($key,$value)=split(/=/,$_,2);
-      $returnhash{unescape($key)}=&thaw_unescape($value);
-   }
-   return %returnhash;
+    my ($namespace,$udomain,$uname,$regexp,$range)=@_;
+    if (!$udomain) { $udomain=$env{'user.domain'}; }
+    if (!$uname) { $uname=$env{'user.name'}; }
+    my $uhome=&homeserver($uname,$udomain);
+    if ($regexp) {
+	$regexp=&escape($regexp);
+    } else {
+	$regexp='.';
+    }
+    my $rep=&reply("dump:$udomain:$uname:$namespace:$regexp:$range",$uhome);
+    my @pairs=split(/\&/,$rep);
+    my %returnhash=();
+    foreach my $item (@pairs) {
+	my ($key,$value)=split(/=/,$item,2);
+	$key = &unescape($key);
+	next if ($key =~ /^error: 2 /);
+	$returnhash{$key}=&thaw_unescape($value);
+    }
+    return %returnhash;
 }
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------- dumpstore interface
@@ -4707,18 +4720,18 @@ sub parse_access_controls {
             if ($entry eq 'scope') {
                 my $type = $token->[2]{'type'};
                 if (($type eq 'course') || ($type eq 'group')) {
-                    %{$content{'roles'}} = ();
+                    $content{'roles'} = {};
                 }
             } elsif ($entry eq 'roles') {
                 $role_id = $token->[2]{id};
-                %{$content{$entry}{$role_id}} = (
-                                                 role => [],
+		$content{$entry}{$role_id} = {
+		                                 role => [],
                                                  access => [],
                                                  section => [],
                                                  group => [],
-                                                );
+                                             };
             } elsif ($entry eq 'users') {
-                %{$content{'users'}} = ();
+                $content{'users'} = {};
                 $usercount = 0;
             } elsif ($entry eq 'user') {
                 $user = '';