modutils = {}

function modutils.get_depmod(modname)
-- Get dependency object  (depmod)

-- Definition of returning object attributes
	local depmod = {
        	modname,      -- module name from get_depmod
		deplist = {}, -- depends.txt parsed
              }


-- Definition of returning object methods
        function depmod.check_depmod(checknode)
--        check if the node (checknode) is from dependent module
        	local delimpos = string.find(checknode, ":")
                if delimpos then
                	local checkmodname = string.sub(checknode, 1,  delimpos - 1)
                        for name, ref in pairs(depmod.deplist) do
                        	if name == checkmodname then
                                	return true
                                end
                        end
                        return false
                end
        end

-- Full returning object attributes
	depmod.modname = modname

-- local variable definition
        local depentry = {} -- Entry in deplist
	local depmodname -- temp value
	local dependsfile = io.open(minetest.get_modpath(modname).."/depends.txt")
	if dependsfile then
		for dependsline in dependsfile:lines() do
			if  string.sub(dependsline, -1) == "?" then
				depentry.required = false
                                depmodname = string.sub(dependsline, 1, -2)
			else
				depentry.required = true
                                depmodname = dependsline
			end
			depmod.deplist[depmodname] = depentry
		end
	end

	return depmod
end