code: def initialize_format_options(self, format_target=''):
          
          try:
              if format_target:
                  self.format = format_target
              else:
                  raise errors.FormatError
          except errors.FormatError:
              self.format_string_object.swap_format(self.CFG.get(self.DEFAULT_FORMAT_PATH, return_type=str))
docs: First attempts to use format_target as a config path or gets the default format
              if it's invalid or is empty.
  
          :param format_target: (str, list(str)), can be either a query path to a format
                                                  or in format of a naming string the sections should be spaced around
                                                  e.g. - this_is_a_naming_string
          :raises: IOError