public Sitplugin Load(string json)
        {
            Sitplugin sitplugin             = null;
            JObject   obj                   = JObject.Parse(json);
            string    outputPath            = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)obj["output_path"]);
            string    archive_index_db_path = null;

            if (obj["archive_index_db_path"] != null)
            {
                archive_index_db_path = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)obj["archive_index_db_path"]);
            }
            var mappingConfig = obj["mapping_config"];

            if (mappingConfig == null)
            {
                throw new Exception("missing mapping_config section");
            }
            bool initialize_mapping = mappingConfig["initialize_mapping"] == null ?
                                      false : (bool)mappingConfig["initialize_mapping"];

            CBMSIT.UserData.UserDataSet userData = null;
            if (obj["import_config"] != null)
            {
                var importConfig = obj["import_config"];

                if (importConfig["path"] != null)
                {
                    userData = Sitplugin.ParseSITData(
                        path: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["path"]),
                        AgeClassTableName: (string)importConfig["ageclass_table_name"],
                        ClassifiersTableName: (string)importConfig["classifiers_table_name"],
                        DisturbanceEventsTableName: (string)importConfig["disturbance_events_table_name"],
                        DisturbanceTypesTableName: (string)importConfig["disturbance_types_table_name"],
                        InventoryTableName: (string)importConfig["inventory_table_name"],
                        TransitionRulesTableName: (string)importConfig["transition_rules_table_name"],
                        YieldTableName: (string)importConfig["yield_table_name"]);
                }
                else if (importConfig["ageclass_path"] != null)
                {
                    userData = Sitplugin.ParseSITDataText(
                        ageClassPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["ageclass_path"]),
                        classifiersPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["classifiers_path"]),
                        disturbanceEventsPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["disturbance_events_path"]),
                        disturbanceTypesPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["disturbance_types_path"]),
                        inventoryPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["inventory_path"]),
                        transitionRulesPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["transition_rules_path"]),
                        yieldPath: System.IO.Path.GetFullPath((string)importConfig["yield_path"]));
                }
                else
                {
                    throw new Exception("error in import_config section");
                }
                sitplugin = new Sitplugin(outputPath, initialize_mapping, userData,
                                          archive_index_database_path: archive_index_db_path);
                MapSpatialUnits(sitplugin, mappingConfig["spatial_units"]);
                MapSpecies(sitplugin, mappingConfig["species"]);
                MapNonForest(sitplugin, mappingConfig["nonforest"]);
                MapDisturbanceTypes(sitplugin, mappingConfig["disturbance_types"]);
            }
            else if (obj["data"] != null)
            {
                sitplugin = new Sitplugin(outputPath, initialize_mapping,
                                          archive_index_database_path: archive_index_db_path);
                sitplugin.AddAgeClasses(
                    (int)obj["data"]["age_class"]["age_class_size"],
                    (int)obj["data"]["age_class"]["num_age_classes"]);

                foreach (var c in obj["data"]["classifiers"])
                {
                    sitplugin.AddClassifier((string)c);
                }
                MapSpatialUnits(sitplugin, mappingConfig["spatial_units"]);
                MapSpecies(sitplugin, mappingConfig["species"]);
                MapNonForest(sitplugin, mappingConfig["nonforest"]);
                MapDisturbanceTypes(sitplugin, mappingConfig["disturbance_types"]);

                LoadConfigDataObjects(sitplugin, obj["data"]);
            }
            else
            {
                throw new Exception("expected one of 'import_config', or 'data' in configuration");
            }



            return(sitplugin);
        }