def klass_option_obj(klass, option_obj)
    return option_obj if option_obj.instance_of?(klass)
    option_obj ||= {}  # if nil, makes it empty hash
    return klass.send( :new, option_obj )
  end
def klass_option_obj(klass, option_obj)
    return option_obj if option_obj.instance_of?(klass)
    option_obj ||= {}  # if nil, makes it empty hash
    return klass.send( :new, option_obj )
  end
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 klass_option_obj -- returns a (new?) object of a given klass
 purpose is to handle the variety of ways to prepare for a view
 args:
   klass -- class of object to be returned
   option_obj -- any one of the following
       -- nil -- will return klass.new
       -- object -- will return the object itself
       -- hash   -- will return klass.new( hash ) for parameters
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------