private function populateOptions()
    {

        // These values could be overridden if explicitly defined using nested tags
        $this->preparedOptions['package'] = $this->package;
        $this->preparedOptions['packagedirectory'] = $this->dir->getAbsolutePath();

        if ($this->packageFile !== null) {
            // create one w/ full path
            $f = new PhingFile($this->packageFile->getAbsolutePath());
            $this->preparedOptions['packagefile'] = $f->getName();
            // must end in trailing slash
            $this->preparedOptions['outputdirectory'] = $f->getParent() . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
            $this->log("Creating package file: " . $f->__toString(), Project::MSG_INFO);
        } else {
            $this->log("Creating [default] package.xml file in base directory.", Project::MSG_INFO);
        }

        // converts option objects and mapping objects into
        // key => value options that can be passed to PEAR_PackageFileManager

        foreach ($this->options as $opt) {
            $this->preparedOptions[$opt->getName()] = $opt->getValue(); //no arrays yet. preg_split('/\s*,\s*/', $opt->getValue());
        }

        foreach ($this->mappings as $map) {
            $value = $map->getValue(); // getValue returns complex value

            if ($map->getName() == 'deps') {
                $value = $this->fixDeps($value);
            }

            $this->preparedOptions[$map->getName()] = $value;
        }
    }