diff --git a/core/Global.js b/core/Global.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91f43763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/Global.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/*
+ * Helma License Notice
+ *
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the Helma License
+ * Version 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in
+ * compliance with the License. A copy of the License is available at
+ * http://adele.helma.org/download/helma/license.txt
+ *
+ * Copyright 1998-2005 Helma Software. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * $RCSfile: Date.js,v $
+ * $Author: czv $
+ * $Revision: 1.2 $
+ * $Date: 2006/04/24 07:02:17 $
+ */
+
+
+app.addRepository("modules/core/String.js");
+
+
+/**
+ * write out a property contained in app.properties
+ * @param Object containing the name of the property
+ */
+function property_macro(param) {
+    res.write(app.properties[param.name] || String.NULL);
+    return;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * wrapper to output a string from within a skin
+ * just to be able to use different encodings
+ * @param Object containing the string as text property
+ */
+function write_macro(param) {
+    res.write(param.text || String.NULL);
+    return;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * renders the current datetime
+ * @param Object containing a formatting string as format property
+ */
+function now_macro(param) {
+    var d = new Date();
+    if (param.format) {
+        res.write(d.format(param.format));
+    } else if (param.as == "timestamp") {
+        res.write(d.getTime());
+    } else {
+        res.write(d);
+    }
+    return;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * renders a global skin
+ */
+function skin_macro(param) {
+    if (param.name) {
+        renderSkin(param.name);
+    }
+    return;
+}
diff --git a/core/HopObject.js b/core/HopObject.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f97853eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/HopObject.js
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+/*
+ * Helma License Notice
+ *
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the Helma License
+ * Version 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in
+ * compliance with the License. A copy of the License is available at
+ * http://adele.helma.org/download/helma/license.txt
+ *
+ * Copyright 1998-2005 Helma Software. All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * $RCSfile: Date.js,v $
+ * $Author: czv $
+ * $Revision: 1.2 $
+ * $Date: 2006/04/24 07:02:17 $
+ */
+
+
+app.addRepository("modules/core/Number.js");
+app.addRepository("modules/core/String.js");
+
+
+/**
+ * macro returns the id of a HopObject
+ */
+HopObject.prototype.id_macro = function(param) {
+    res.write(this._id);
+    return;
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * macro returns the url for any hopobject
+ */
+HopObject.prototype.href_macro = function(param) {
+    res.write(this.href(param.action || String.NULLSTR));
+    return;
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * macro rendering a skin or displaying
+ * its source (param.as == "source")
+ */
+HopObject.prototype.skin_macro = function(param) {
+    if (param.name) {
+        if (param.as == "source") {
+            var str = app.skinfiles[this._prototype][param.name];
+            if (str && param.unwrap == "true") {
+                str = str.unwrap();
+            }
+        } else {
+            var str = this.renderSkinAsString(param.name, param);
+        }
+        res.write(str);
+    }
+    return;
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * this macro renders a text depending on
+ * the value of a given property
+ */
+HopObject.prototype.switch_macro = function(param) {
+    if (param.name) {
+        res.write(this[param.name] ? param.on : param.off);
+    }
+    return;
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * generic macro that loops over the childobjects
+ * and renders a specified skin for each of them
+ * @param Object providing the following properties:
+ *        skin: the skin to render for each item (required)
+ *        collection: the collection containing the items
+ *        limit: max. number of items per page
+ *              (req.data.page determines the page number)
+ *        sort: property name to use for sorting
+ *        order: sort order (either "asc" or "desc")
+ */
+HopObject.prototype.loop_macro = function(param) {
+    if (!param.skin) {
+        return;
+    }
+    var items = param.collection ? this[param.collection] : this;
+    if (!items || !items.size || items.size() < 1) {
+        return;
+    }
+    // set default values
+    var min = 0, max = items.size();
+    var pagesize = max;
+    if (param.limit) {
+        var n = parseInt(param.limit, 10);
+        if (!isNaN(n)) {
+            pagesize = n;
+        }
+        var pagenr = parseInt(req.data.page, 10);
+        if (isNaN(pagenr)) {
+            pagenr = 0;
+        }
+        min = Math.min(max, pagenr * pagesize);
+        max = Math.min(max, min + pagesize);
+    }
+    if (param.sort) {
+        var allitems = items.list();
+        var test = allitems[0][param.sort];
+        if (!test || isNaN(test)) {
+            var Sorter = String.Sorter;
+        } else {
+            var Sorter = Number.Sorter;
+        }
+        allitems.sort(new Sorter(param.sort, Sorter[param.order.toUpperCase()]));
+        var itemlist = allitems.slice(min, max);
+    } else {
+        var itemlist = items.list(min, max);
+    }
+    var skinParam = {};
+    for (var i=0; i<itemlist.length; i+=1) {
+        skinParam.index = pagenr * pagesize + i + 1;
+        itemlist[i].renderSkin(param.skin, skinParam);
+    }
+    return;
+};
diff --git a/core/String.js b/core/String.js
index 29838986..5b154ddb 100644
--- a/core/String.js
+++ b/core/String.js
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@
  * Copyright 1998-2006 Helma Software. All Rights Reserved.
  *
  * $RCSfile: String.js,v $
- * $Author: czv $
- * $Revision: 1.2 $
- * $Date: 2006/04/24 07:02:17 $
+ * $Author: tobi $
+ * $Revision: 1.3 $
+ * $Date: 2006/07/24 16:03:57 $
  */
 
 
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ String.LEFT           = -1
 String.BALANCE        = 0
 String.RIGHT          = 1
 String.ISOFORMAT      = "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ";
+String.NULL           = "";
 
 
 /**
@@ -40,8 +41,8 @@ String.Sorter = function(field, order) {
     var key = field + ":" + order;
     if (!String.Sorter.cache[key]) {
         String.Sorter.cache[key] = function(a, b) {
-            var str1 = String(a[field] || "").toLowerCase();
-            var str2 = String(b[field] || "").toLowerCase();
+            var str1 = String(a[field] || String.NULL).toLowerCase();
+            var str2 = String(b[field] || String.NULL).toLowerCase();
             if (str1 > str2)
                 return order * 1;
             if (str1 < str2)
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ String.random = function(len, mode) {
         var x = Math.random() * Math.pow(10,len);
         return Math.floor(x);
     }
-    var keystr = "";
+    var keystr = String.NULL;
     for (var i=0; i<len; i++) {
         var x = Math.floor((Math.random() * 36));
         if (mode == 1) {
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ String.random = function(len, mode) {
  */
 String.join = function(str1, str2, glue) {
     if (glue == null)
-        glue = "";
+        glue = String.NULL;
     if (str1 && str2)
         return str1 + glue + str2;
     else if (str2)
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ String.prototype.isFileName = function() {
  * @return Boolean
  */
 String.prototype.toFileName = function() {
-    return this.replace(new RegExp(String.FILEPATTERN.source, "g"), "");
+    return this.replace(new RegExp(String.FILEPATTERN.source, "g"), String.NULL);
 };
 
 
@@ -224,7 +225,7 @@ String.prototype.isHexColor = function() {
 String.prototype.toHexColor = function() {
     if (this.startsWith("rgb")) {
         res.push();
-        var col = this.replace(/[^0-9,]/g,"");
+        var col = this.replace(/[^0-9,]/g, String.NULL);
         var parts = col.split(",");
         for (var i in parts) {
             var num = parseInt(parts[i], 10);
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ String.prototype.toHexColor = function() {
         }
         return res.pop();
     }
-    var col = this.replace(new RegExp(String.HEXPATTERN.source), "");
+    var col = this.replace(new RegExp(String.HEXPATTERN.source), String.NULL);
     return col.toLowerCase().pad("0", 6, String.LEFT);
 };
 
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ String.prototype.isAlphanumeric = function() {
  * @return cleaned string
  */
 String.prototype.toAlphanumeric = function() {
-    return this.replace(new RegExp(String.ANUMPATTERN.source, "g"), "");
+    return this.replace(new RegExp(String.ANUMPATTERN.source, "g"), String.NULL);
 };
 
 
@@ -342,14 +343,14 @@ String.prototype.entitize = function() {
 String.prototype.embody = function(limit, clipping, delimiter) {
    if (typeof limit == "string")
       limit = parseInt(limit, 10);
-   var result = {head: this, tail: ""};
+   var result = {head: this, tail: String.NULL};
    if (!limit || limit < 1)
       return result;
-   if (!delimiter || delimiter =="")
+   if (!delimiter || delimiter == String.NULL)
       result.head= this.substring(0, limit);
    else {
       var re = new RegExp ("(" + delimiter + "+)");
-      result.head = this.split(re, 2*limit - 1).join("");
+      result.head = this.split(re, 2*limit - 1).join(String.NULL);
    }
    if (result.head != this) {
       result.tail = this.substring(result.head.length).trim();
@@ -423,7 +424,7 @@ String.prototype.group = function(interval, str, ignoreWhiteSpace) {
  */
 String.prototype.unwrap = function(removeTags, replacement) {
     if (replacement == null)
-        replacement = "";
+        replacement = String.NULL;
     var str = this.replace(/[\n|\r]/g, replacement);
     if (removeTags)
         str = str.replace(/<[w]?br *\/?>/g, replacement);
diff --git a/core/all.js b/core/all.js
index 714e8911..8f107375 100644
--- a/core/all.js
+++ b/core/all.js
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
  *
  * $RCSfile: all.js,v $
  * $Author: czv $
- * $Revision: 1.3 $
- * $Date: 2006/04/24 08:27:00 $
+ * $Revision: 1.4 $
+ * $Date: 2006/05/30 18:34:31 $
  */
 
 // convenience SingleFileRepository to load all the 
@@ -22,3 +22,5 @@ app.addRepository('modules/core/Date.js');
 app.addRepository('modules/core/Number.js');
 app.addRepository('modules/core/Object.js');
 app.addRepository('modules/core/String.js');
+app.addRepository('modules/core/HopObject.js');
+app.addRepository('modules/core/Global.js');