/// <summary>
        /// reads the EM2 variables file and transfers it to EM3 style
        /// creates the config folder, if it does not exist, and overwrites any existing variables file
        /// note: the intended usage is "single variables transformation"
        ///       the EM3All class is responsible for complete EM-content transformation (using the EM3Variables.Write functions)
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="emPath"> EuromodFiles folder (containing EM2-files in XMLParam and (will contain) EM3-files in EM3Translation\XMLParam) </param>
        /// <param name="errors"> critical and non-critical erros during the transformation-process, empty structure for no errors </param>
        public static bool Transform(string emPath, out List <string> errors)
        {
            errors = new List <string>(); EMPath pathHandler = new EMPath(emPath);
            try
            {
                DirectoryInfo di = Directory.CreateDirectory(pathHandler.GetFolderConfig());

                if (TransformerCommon.IsFileUpToDate(pathHandler.GetVarFilePath(em2: true), di.FullName, out string hashCode))
                {
                    return(true);
                }

                // read EM2-file
                EM2Variables.Content content = EM2Variables.Read(pathHandler.GetFolderConfig(em2: true), out List <string> rErrors);
                if (content == null)
                {
                    errors = rErrors; return(false);
                }

                // transfer to EM3-structure
                bool success = Write(content, emPath, out List <string> wErrors);
                errors.AddRange(wErrors);

                if (success && errors.Count == 0)
                {
                    TransformerCommon.WriteUpToDate(pathHandler.GetVarFilePath(em2: true), di.FullName, hashCode);
                }
                return(success);
            }
            catch (Exception exception)
            {
                errors.Add($"Variables: {exception.Message}");
                return(false);
            }
        }
        /// <summary> reads all components of an EM2 version </summary>
        /// <param name="emPath"> path to EUROMOD version (e.g. C:\euromod\EuromodContent\EuromodFiles_H0.13\) </param>
        /// <param name="errors"> list of errors, only critical errors lead to failure-return (null), i.e. there may be errors on "success"</param>
        /// <param name="progressAction">
        /// optional function for progress reporting, in the form 'void funName(string message)'
        /// is called for each item (country, add-on, global file) and sets message to e.g. 'Finished reading ...', 'Failed reading ...'
        /// </param>
        /// <param name="cancelSrc"> optional cancellation item </param>
        /// <returns> Content structure upon success, null upon failure </returns>
        public static Content Read(string emPath, out List <string> errors,
                                   Action <string> progressAction = null, CancellationTokenSource cancelSrc = null)
        {
            Content       content = new Content();
            List <string> _errors = new List <string>();

            object          writeLock       = new object();
            ParallelOptions parallelOptions = new ParallelOptions();

            if (cancelSrc != null)
            {
                parallelOptions.CancellationToken = cancelSrc.Token;
            }

            try
            {
                EMPath pathHandler = new EMPath(emPath);

                // READ COUNTRIES IN PARALLEL
                Parallel.ForEach(new DirectoryInfo(pathHandler.GetFolderCountries(em2: true)).GetDirectories(), parallelOptions, folder =>
                {
                    parallelOptions.CancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();

                    string ctryFileName = pathHandler.GetCountryFilePath(country: folder.Name, em2: true);
                    string dataFileName = pathHandler.GetEM2DataConfigFilePath(country: folder.Name);

                    EM2Country.Content c = EM2Country.Read(ctryFileName, out List <string> cErrors);
                    EM2Data.Content d    = EM2Data.Read(dataFileName, out List <string> dErrors);

                    bool success = c != null && d != null;
                    lock (writeLock)
                    {
                        if (success)
                        {
                            content.countries.Add(new CountryContent()
                            {
                                country = c, data = d
                            });
                        }
                        _errors.AddRange(cErrors); _errors.AddRange(dErrors);
                    }
                    ReportSuccess(folder.Name, success, cErrors.Count + dErrors.Count);
                });
                // the rest is read sequentially (parallel would be unnecessary overhead)

                // READ ADD-ONS
                foreach (DirectoryInfo folder in new DirectoryInfo(pathHandler.GetFolderAddOns(em2: true)).GetDirectories())
                {
                    if ((new List <string>()
                    {
                        "HypoData", "SumStat", "XYZ"
                    }).Contains(folder.Name))
                    {
                        continue; // that's just old stuff, I think hardcoding isn't a faux pas
                    }
                    string             aoFileName = pathHandler.GetAddOnFilePath(addOn: folder.Name, em2: true);
                    EM2Country.Content ao         = EM2Country.Read(aoFileName, out List <string> aoErrors);
                    if (ao != null)
                    {
                        content.addOns.Add(ao);
                    }
                    _errors.AddRange(aoErrors); ReportSuccess(folder.Name, ao != null, aoErrors.Count);
                }
                ;

                // READ GLOBAL FILES
                string configPath = pathHandler.GetFolderConfig(em2: true);
                content.exRates = EM2Global.ReadExRates(configPath, out List <string> exErrors); _errors.AddRange(exErrors);
                ReportSuccess("Exchange rates", exErrors.Count == 0, exErrors.Count);
                content.hicp = EM2Global.ReadHICP(configPath, out List <string> hicpErrors); _errors.AddRange(hicpErrors);
                ReportSuccess("HICP", hicpErrors.Count == 0, hicpErrors.Count);
                content.switchPol = EM2Global.ReadSwitchPol(configPath, out List <string> spErrors); _errors.AddRange(spErrors);
                ReportSuccess("Policy switches", spErrors.Count == 0, spErrors.Count);

                // READ VARIABLES
                content.varConfig = EM2Variables.Read(configPath, out List <string> vErrors); _errors.AddRange(vErrors);
                ReportSuccess(EM2Variables.FILE_VARCONFIG, content.varConfig != null, vErrors.Count);

                return(content);
            }
            catch (OperationCanceledException) { progressAction($"Reading {emPath} cancelled!"); return(content); }
            catch (Exception exception)
            {
                lock (writeLock) { _errors.Add(exception.Message); } return(null);
            }
            finally { errors = _errors; }

            void ReportSuccess(string what, bool success, int cntErrors)
            {
                if (success)
                {
                    progressAction($"Finished reading {what} with " + $"{(cntErrors == 0 ? "success" : $"{cntErrors} errors") }");
                }