posix err=%s;\n%s" $_cerr_sub_num $_cerr_sub_err $_cerr_posix_err $_cerr_str]
        return -code error $msg
    }
}

# ::cisco::eem::context_retrieve(ctxt, var, index_if_array)
# get saved Tcl variables in current and global namespaces
proc ::cisco::eem::context_retrieve {ctxt {var ""} {index_if_array ""}} {
    global _cerrno _cerr_sub_num _cerr_sub_err _cerr_posix_err _cerr_str

    array set arr_info [appl_reqinfo key var_arr_$ctxt]
    if {$_cerrno != 0} {
        set msg [format "component=%s; subsys err=%s; posix err=%s;\n%s" $_cerr_sub_num $_cerr_sub_err $_cerr_posix_err $_cerr_str]
        return -code error $msg
    }

    set var_arr_strlist $arr_info(data)
    array set arr_info [appl_reqinfo key is_array_$ctxt]    
    if {$_cerrno != 0} {
        set msg [format "component=%s; subsys err=%s; posix err=%s;\n%s" $_cerr_sub_num $_cerr_sub_err $_cerr_posix_err $_cerr_str]
        return -code error $msg
    }

    set is_array_strlist $arr_info(data)
    array set var_arr $var_arr_strlist
    array set is_array $is_array_strlist

    if {$var == ""} {
        # case 1: retrieve the whole var table
	return $var_arr_strlist
    }

    # check if var is in context
    set varlist [array names var_arr]
    set index [lsearch -exact $varlist $var]
    if {$index == -1} {
        return -code error "var is not in context"
    }

    if {$is_array($var) == 1 && $index_if_array != ""} {
	# case 2: retrieve an array element
        array set vararr $var_arr($var)
        return $vararr($index_if_array)
    } else {
	# case 3: retrieve a scalar var or a whole array
    	return $var_arr($var)
    }
}