Index: svnperms.py
===================================================================
--- svnperms.py	(revision 15810)
+++ svnperms.py	(working copy)
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 class Error(Exception): pass
 
-SECTION = re.compile(r'\[([^]]+)\]')
+SECTION = re.compile(r'\[([^]]+?)(?:\s+extends\s+([^]]+))?\]')
 OPTION = re.compile(r'(\S+)\s*=\s*(.*)$')
 
 class Config:
@@ -43,8 +43,19 @@
                 m = SECTION.match(line)
                 if m:
                     sectname = m.group(1)
-                    cursectdict = self._sections_dict.setdefault(sectname, {})
-                    cursectlist = []
+                    parentsectname = m.group(2)
+                    if parentsectname is None:
+                        # No parent section defined, so start a new section
+                        cursectdict = self._sections_dict.setdefault \
+                            (sectname, {})
+                        cursectlist = []
+                    else:
+                        # Copy the parent section into the new section
+                        parentsectdict = self._sections_dict.get \
+                            (parentsectname, {})
+                        cursectdict = self._sections_dict.setdefault \
+                            (sectname, parentsectdict.copy())
+                        cursectlist = self.walk(parentsectname)
                     self._sections_list.append((sectname, cursectlist))
                     optname = None
                 elif cursectdict is None:
Index: svnperms.conf.example
===================================================================
--- svnperms.conf.example	(revision 15810)
+++ svnperms.conf.example	(working copy)
@@ -84,3 +84,13 @@
 updates/[^/]+/[^/]+/releases/.* = autouser(add)
 updates/[^/]+/[^/]+/pristine/ = autouser(add,remove)
 
+#
+# Sections can inherit settings from previously defined sections, using
+# the "extends" keyword in the section declaration.  In this example, 
+# the [example5] section inherits all the settings from [example2], and 
+# adds a new setting for a releases directory which behaves like the 
+# tags directory:
+
+[example5 extends example2]
+releases/[^/]+/ = *(add)
+