def engine_from_config(configuration, prefix='sqlalchemy.', **kwargs):
"""Create a new Engine instance using a configuration dictionary.
- The *configuration* dictionary is typically produced from a config file
- in which keys are prefixed, e.g. ``sqlalchemy.url``, ``sqlalchemy.echo``,
- etc. The 'prefix' argument indicates the prefix to be searched for.
+ The dictionary is typically produced from a config file.
+
+ The keys of interest to ``engine_from_config()`` should be prefixed, e.g.
+ ``sqlalchemy.url``, ``sqlalchemy.echo``, etc. The 'prefix' argument
+ indicates the prefix to be searched for. Each matching key (after the
+ prefix is stripped) is treated as though it were the corresponding keyword
+ argument to a :func:`.create_engine` call.
+
+ The only required key is (assuming the default prefix) ``sqlalchemy.url``,
+ which provides the :ref:`database URL <database_urls>`.
A select set of keyword arguments will be "coerced" to their
expected type based on string values. The set of arguments
is extensible per-dialect using the ``engine_config_types`` accessor.
+ :param configuration: A dictionary (typically produced from a config file,
+ but this is not a requirement). Items whose keys start with the value
+ of 'prefix' will have that prefix stripped, and will then be passed to
+ :ref:`create_engine`.
+
+ :param prefix: Prefix to match and then strip from keys
+ in 'configuration'.
+
+ :param kwargs: Each keyword argument to ``engine_from_config()`` itself
+ overrides the corresponding item taken from the 'configuration'
+ dictionary. Keyword arguments should *not* be prefixed.
+
"""
options = dict((key[len(prefix):], configuration[key])