diff --git a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index 7d6c447..ad21bcb 100644
--- a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@push.rocks/npmextra',
-  version: '4.0.7',
+  version: '4.0.8',
   description: 'do more with npm'
 }
diff --git a/ts/npmextra.classes.appdata.ts b/ts/npmextra.classes.appdata.ts
index da1a25d..0d70324 100644
--- a/ts/npmextra.classes.appdata.ts
+++ b/ts/npmextra.classes.appdata.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ import * as plugins from './npmextra.plugins.js';
 import * as paths from './npmextra.paths.js';
 import { KeyValueStore } from './npmextra.classes.keyvaluestore.js';
 
+export interface IAppDataOptions {
+  dirPath?: string;
+  requiredKeys?: string[];
+}
+
 export class AppData {
   /**
    * creates appdata. If no pathArg is given, data will be stored here:
@@ -9,18 +14,18 @@ export class AppData {
    * @param pathArg
    * @returns 
    */
-  public static async createAndInit(pathArg?: string) {
-    const appData = new AppData(pathArg);
+  public static async createAndInit(optionsArg: IAppDataOptions = {}) {
+    const appData = new AppData(optionsArg);
     await appData.readyDeferred.promise;
     return appData;
   }
 
   // instance
   public readyDeferred = plugins.smartpromise.defer();
-  public dirPathArg: string;
+  public options: IAppDataOptions;
   private kvStore: KeyValueStore;
-  constructor(pathArg?: string) {
-    this.dirPathArg = pathArg;
+  constructor(optionsArg: IAppDataOptions = {}) {
+    this.options = optionsArg;
     this.init();
   }
 
@@ -29,7 +34,7 @@ export class AppData {
    * @param pathArg
    */
   private async init(pathArg?: string) {
-    if (this.dirPathArg) {
+    if (this.options.dirPath) {
       // ok, nothing to do here;
     } else {
       const appDataDir = '/app/data';
@@ -38,15 +43,15 @@ export class AppData {
       const appDataExists = plugins.smartfile.fs.isDirectory(appDataDir);
       const dataExists = plugins.smartfile.fs.isDirectory(dataDir);
       if (appDataExists) {
-        this.dirPathArg = appDataDir;
+        this.options.dirPath = appDataDir;
       } else if (dataExists) {
-        this.dirPathArg = dataDir;
+        this.options.dirPath = dataDir;
       } else {
         await plugins.smartfile.fs.ensureDir(nogitAppData);
-        this.dirPathArg = nogitAppData;
+        this.options.dirPath = nogitAppData;
       }
     }
-    this.kvStore = new KeyValueStore('custom', 'appkv', this.dirPathArg);
+    this.kvStore = new KeyValueStore('custom', 'appkv', this.options.dirPath);
     this.readyDeferred.resolve();
   }