diff --git a/angular.json b/angular.json
index 56a153c..6014380 100644
--- a/angular.json
+++ b/angular.json
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
                             "demos/people-service/src/assets"
                         ],
                         "styles": [
-                            "demos/people-service/src/styles.css"
+                            "demos/people-service/src/styles.css",
                             "node_modules/primeng/resources/primeng.css",
                             "node_modules/primeicons/primeicons.css",
                             "node_modules/primeflex/primeflex.css",
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.spec.ts b/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.spec.ts
index a59506f..33bd277 100644
--- a/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.spec.ts
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ describe('ConfigurationService', () => {
     // Mock configuration object
     const mockConfig: Configuration = {
         PDRDMP: 'https://oardev.nist.gov/od/ds/rpa',
+        daptool: {
+            editEnabled: true
+        }
     };
 
     beforeEach(() => {
@@ -68,6 +71,14 @@ describe('ConfigurationService', () => {
         expect(actualConfig['PDRDMP']).toEqual(mockConfig['PDRDMP']);
     });
 
+    it('should return configuration parameter', () => {
+        service.config = mockConfig;
+        expect(service.get('PDRDMP', 'unconfigured')).toEqual(mockConfig['PDRDMP']);
+        expect(service.get('daptool', 'unconfigured')).toEqual(mockConfig['daptool']);
+        expect(service.get('daptool.editEnabled')).toBe(true);
+        expect(service.get('daptool.endpoint', 'unconfigured')).toBe('unconfigured');
+    });
+
 })
 
 
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.ts b/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.ts
index 12e28bf..77b26d4 100644
--- a/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.ts
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/lib/config/config.service.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { Observable, Subject, throwError } from "rxjs";
 import { catchError, tap } from "rxjs/operators";
 
 import { Configuration, ReleaseInfo, RELEASE_INFO, CONFIG_URL } from "./config.model";
+import { NamedParameters, AnyObj } from "../data/namedparams";
 import { environment } from "../../environments/environment";
 
 /**
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ export class ConfigurationService {
             this.config.componentRelease = this.relInfo
 
         let r: ReleaseInfo|undefined = this.config.componentRelease;
-        let msg = "app configuration loaded for ";
+        let msg = "app configuration loaded";
         if (r) msg += " for "+r.component+", version "+r.version
         console.log(msg);
     }
@@ -71,6 +72,26 @@ export class ConfigurationService {
         return (this.config ?? { }) as T;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * extract a named parameter from the (already loaded) configuration data using its
+     * hierarchical (dot-delimited) name.
+     * 
+     * This function accomplishes two things:  first, it provides a bit of syntactic 
+     * sugar for getting at deep values in the parameter hierarchy.  That is, 
+     * `cfg.get("links.orgHome")` is equivalent to `cfg.getConfig()["links"]["orgHome"]`.  
+     *
+     * The second bit of functionality is the optional parameter that allows the caller 
+     * to set the default value to return if the value is not set.  If the stored value
+     * is null or undefined, the default value is returned.  
+     * 
+     * @param param    the name of the desired parameter
+     * @param default  the default value to return if a parameter with the given name
+     *                 is not set or is null.  
+     */
+    get<T>(param: string, defval?: T | null): T | null | undefined {
+        return (new NamedParameters(this.getConfig<AnyObj>())).get(param, defval);
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Handle the HTTP errors.
      * @param error The error object.
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/data.module.ts b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/data.module.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..667a647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/data.module.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/**
+ * Utilities for managing various data structures
+ */
+import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
+
+import { NamedParameters } from './namedparams';
+import { AnyObj } from './types';
+
+@NgModule({})
+export class DataModule { }
+
+export { NamedParameters, AnyObj }
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/namedparams.spec.ts b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/namedparams.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96fda28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/namedparams.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { NamedParameters, AnyObj } from "./namedparams";
+
+describe("NamedParameters", function() {
+    let data : AnyObj = {
+        "links": {
+            orgHome: "https://data.nist.gov/",
+            rabbitHoles: {
+                endless: "/endless",
+                deadend: "/endless/deadend"
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    it("get()", function() {
+        let p: NamedParameters = new NamedParameters(data);
+        debugger;
+        expect(p.data).toBe(data);
+        expect(p.get("links", "unconfigured")).toBe(data["links"]);
+        expect(p.get("apis", "unconfigured")).toBe("unconfigured");
+        expect(p.get("apis")).toBe(undefined);
+        expect(p.get("links.orgHome", "unconfigured")).toBe("https://data.nist.gov/");
+        expect(p.get("links.rabbitHoles.deadend", "unconfigured")).toBe("/endless/deadend");
+        expect(p.get("links.rabbitHoles.conspiracy", "unconfigured")).toBe("unconfigured");
+    });
+
+    it("construction-time defaults", function() {
+        let defs = {
+            links: {
+                orgHome: "https://google.com",
+                portalHome: "/sdp",
+                rabbitHoles: { }
+            },
+            apis: false   
+        }
+        let p: NamedParameters = new NamedParameters(data, defs);
+        expect(p.data).toBe(data);
+        expect(p.get("links", "unconfigured")).toBe(data["links"]);
+        expect(p.get("apis", "unconfigured")).toBe("unconfigured");
+        expect(p.get("apis")).toBe(false);
+        expect(p.get("links.orgHome", "unconfigured")).toBe("https://data.nist.gov/");
+        expect(p.get("links.portalHome")).toBe("/sdp");
+        expect(p.get("links.rabbitHoles.deadend", "unconfigured")).toBe("/endless/deadend");
+        expect(p.get("links.rabbitHoles.conspiracy", "unconfigured")).toBe("unconfigured");
+    });
+});
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/namedparams.ts b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/namedparams.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3125a5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/namedparams.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { AnyObj } from './types';
+
+/**
+ * A wrapper class around data stored in a hierarchical object that eases access.  It provides two 
+ * key features:
+ *  * a get() function for accessing items deep in the hierarcy via dot-delimited name
+ *  * the ability to specify a default if the parameter is not set.
+ */
+export class NamedParameters {
+
+    data: AnyObj;
+    _defs: NamedParameters|null = null;
+
+    /**
+     * wrap a data object
+     * @param params     the data object to wrap
+     * @param defParams  a data object that provides default values to return if a parameter 
+     *                   is not set in params _and_ a default is not provided to the get()
+     *                   function.  
+     */
+    constructor(params: AnyObj, defParams?: AnyObj) {
+        this.data = params;
+        if (defParams)
+            this._defs = new NamedParameters(defParams);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * get hierarchical values by name with an option to request a default value.  
+     * 
+     * This function accomplishes two things:  first, it provides a bit of syntactic 
+     * sugar for getting at deep values in the parameter hierarchy.  That is, 
+     * `params.get("links.orgHome")` is equivalent to `params.data["links"]["orgHome"]`.  
+     *
+     * The second bit of functionality is the optional parameter that allows the caller 
+     * to set the default value to return if the value is not set.  If the stored value
+     * is null or undefined, the default value is returned.  
+     * 
+     * @param param    the name of the desired parameter
+     * @param default  the default value to return if a parameter with the given name
+     *                 is not set or is null.  This overrides any default set at 
+     *                 construction time.  Do not set or set to undefined to explicity 
+     *                 defer to a construction-time default.
+     */
+    get<T>(param: string, defval?: T | null): T | null | undefined {
+        let names: string[] = param.split(".");
+        let val: any = this.data;
+        for (var i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {
+            if (typeof val != "object") {
+                val = null;
+                break;
+            }
+            val = val[names[i]];
+        }
+        if (val == null || val == undefined) {
+            if (defval == undefined && this._defs)
+                defval = this._defs.get(param);
+            val = defval;
+        }
+        return val;
+    }
+}
+
+export { AnyObj }
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/types.ts b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d043a5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/lib/data/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/**
+ * exportable type definitions
+ */
+
+/**
+ * an object that can be empty or contain parameters of any names and types
+ */
+export type AnyObj = { [paramName: string]: any }
+
diff --git a/libs/oarng/src/public-api.ts b/libs/oarng/src/public-api.ts
index fb0e5a1..dd84c43 100644
--- a/libs/oarng/src/public-api.ts
+++ b/libs/oarng/src/public-api.ts
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ export * from './lib/auth/auth';
 export * from './lib/config/config.module';
 export * from './lib/auth/auth.module';
 export * from './lib/staffdir/staffdir.module';
+export * from './lib/data/data.module';