@classmethod
def string_list_file(cls, filename):
    """
        Read a list of string values from a file.

        The file format is:

         - # anywhere in the line begins a comment
         - leading and trailing spaces are ignored
         - empty lines are ignored
         - strings cannot span over a single line

        @type  filename: str
        @param filename: Name of the file to read.

        @rtype:  list
        @return: List of integers and strings read from the file.
        """
    count = 0
    result = list()
    fd = open(filename, 'r')
    for line in fd:
        count = count + 1
        if '#' in line:
            line = line[:line.find('#')]
        line = line.strip()
        if line:
            result.append(line)
    return result
