diff -r f5b374b08180 src/sys/objects/options.c
--- a/src/sys/objects/options.c	Mon Jul 23 12:27:02 2012 -0500
+++ b/src/sys/objects/options.c	Mon Jul 23 23:04:37 2012 -0500
@@ -506,8 +506,9 @@ static PetscErrorCode PetscOptionsInsert
 
   PetscFunctionBegin;
   while (left) {
-    PetscBool  isoptions_file,isprefixpush,isprefixpop,isp4,tisp4,isp4yourname,isp4rmrank,key;
+    PetscBool  isoptions_file,isyaml_file,isprefixpush,isprefixpop,isp4,tisp4,isp4yourname,isp4rmrank,key;
     ierr = PetscStrcasecmp(eargs[0],"-options_file",&isoptions_file);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+    ierr = PetscStrcasecmp(eargs[0],"-yaml_file",&isyaml_file);CHKERRQ(ierr);
     ierr = PetscStrcasecmp(eargs[0],"-prefix_push",&isprefixpush);CHKERRQ(ierr);
     ierr = PetscStrcasecmp(eargs[0],"-prefix_pop",&isprefixpop);CHKERRQ(ierr);
     ierr = PetscStrcasecmp(eargs[0],"-p4pg",&isp4);CHKERRQ(ierr);
@@ -527,6 +528,11 @@ static PetscErrorCode PetscOptionsInsert
       if (eargs[1][0] == '-') SETERRQ(PETSC_COMM_SELF,PETSC_ERR_USER,"Missing filename for -options_file filename option");
       ierr = PetscOptionsInsertFile(PETSC_COMM_WORLD,eargs[1],PETSC_TRUE);CHKERRQ(ierr);
       eargs += 2; left -= 2;
+    } else if (isyaml_file) {
+      if (left <= 1) SETERRQ(PETSC_COMM_SELF,PETSC_ERR_USER,"Missing filename for -yaml_file filename option");
+      if (eargs[1][0] == '-') SETERRQ(PETSC_COMM_SELF,PETSC_ERR_USER,"Missing filename for -yaml_file filename option");
+      ierr = PetscOptionsInsertFile_YAML(PETSC_COMM_WORLD,eargs[1],PETSC_TRUE);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+      eargs += 2; left -= 2;
     } else if (isprefixpush) {
       if (left <= 1) SETERRQ(PETSC_COMM_SELF,PETSC_ERR_USER,"Missing prefix for -prefix_push option");
       if (eargs[1][0] == '-') SETERRQ(PETSC_COMM_SELF,PETSC_ERR_USER,"Missing prefix for -prefix_push option (prefixes cannot start with '-')");
@@ -684,27 +690,40 @@ PetscErrorCode  PetscOptionsView(PetscVi
   PetscErrorCode ierr;
   PetscInt       i;
   PetscBool      isascii;
+  PetscBool      isstring;
 
   PetscFunctionBegin;
   if (!viewer) viewer = PETSC_VIEWER_STDOUT_WORLD;
   ierr = PetscObjectTypeCompare((PetscObject)viewer,PETSCVIEWERASCII,&isascii);CHKERRQ(ierr);
-  if (!isascii) SETERRQ(((PetscObject)viewer)->comm,PETSC_ERR_SUP,"Only supports ASCII viewer");
+  ierr = PetscObjectTypeCompare((PetscObject)viewer,PETSCVIEWERSTRING,&isstring);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+  if (!isascii && !isstring) SETERRQ(((PetscObject)viewer)->comm,PETSC_ERR_SUP,"Only supports ASCII and file viewers");
 
+  
   if (!options) {ierr = PetscOptionsInsert(0,0,0);CHKERRQ(ierr);}
-  if (options->N) {
-    ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"#PETSc Option Table entries:\n");CHKERRQ(ierr);
-  } else {
-    ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"#No PETSc Option Table entries\n");CHKERRQ(ierr);
-  }
-  for (i=0; i<options->N; i++) {
-    if (options->values[i]) {
-      ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"-%s %s\n",options->names[i],options->values[i]);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+  if (isascii) {
+    if (options->N) {
+      ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"#PETSc Option Table entries:\n");CHKERRQ(ierr);
     } else {
-      ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"-%s\n",options->names[i]);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+      ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"#No PETSc Option Table entries\n");CHKERRQ(ierr);
     }
-  }
-  if (options->N) {
-    ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"#End of PETSc Option Table entries\n");CHKERRQ(ierr);
+    for (i=0; i<options->N; i++) {
+      if (options->values[i]) {
+        ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"-%s %s\n",options->names[i],options->values[i]);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+      } else {
+        ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"-%s\n",options->names[i]);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+      }
+    }
+    if (options->N) {
+      ierr = PetscViewerASCIIPrintf(viewer,"#End of PETSc Option Table entries\n");CHKERRQ(ierr);
+    }
+  } else if (isstring) {
+    for (i=0; i<options->N; i++) {
+      if (options->values[i]) {
+        ierr = PetscViewerStringSPrintf(viewer,"-%s %s ",options->names[i],options->values[i]);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+      } else {
+        ierr = PetscViewerStringSPrintf(viewer,"-%s ",options->names[i]);CHKERRQ(ierr);
+      }
+    }
   }
   PetscFunctionReturn(0);
 }