diff --git a/src/helma/framework/core/Prototype.java b/src/helma/framework/core/Prototype.java
index 09da43c4..37f2e5d3 100644
--- a/src/helma/framework/core/Prototype.java
+++ b/src/helma/framework/core/Prototype.java
@@ -22,11 +22,20 @@ import helma.util.Updatable;
 
 public final class Prototype {
 
-    String id;
-    String name;
-    Application app;
-    public HashMap templates, functions, actions, skins, updatables;
-    long lastUpdate, lastCheck;
+    final String name;
+    final Application app;
+
+    public final HashMap templates;
+    public final HashMap functions;
+    public final HashMap actions;
+    public final HashMap skins;
+    public final HashMap updatables;
+    
+    // lastCheck is the time the prototype's files were last checked
+    private long lastCheck;
+    // lastUpdate is the time at which any of the prototype's files were
+    // found updated the last time
+    private long lastUpdate;
 
     private Prototype parent;
 
@@ -38,6 +47,13 @@ public final class Prototype {
 	// app.logEvent ("Constructing Prototype "+app.getName()+"/"+name);
 	this.app = app;
 	this.name = name;
+
+	templates = new HashMap ();
+	functions = new HashMap ();
+	actions = new HashMap ();
+	skins = new HashMap ();
+	updatables = new HashMap ();
+
 	isJavaPrototype = app.isJavaPrototype (name);
 	lastUpdate = lastCheck = 0;
     }
@@ -51,7 +67,8 @@ public final class Prototype {
 
 
     /**
-     *  Set the parent prototype of this prototype, i.e. the prototype this one inherits from.
+     *  Set the parent prototype of this prototype, i.e. the prototype this 
+     *  prototype inherits from.
      */
     public void setParentPrototype (Prototype parent) {
 	// this is not allowed for the hopobject and global prototypes
@@ -60,26 +77,53 @@ public final class Prototype {
 	this.parent = parent;
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get the parent prototype from which we inherit, or null
+     *  if we are top of the line.
+     */
     public Prototype getParentPrototype () {
 	return parent;
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get a template defined for this prototype. Templates
+     *  are files that mix layout and code and were used
+     *  before skins came along. Think of them as legacy.
+     */
     public Template getTemplate (String tmpname) {
 	return (Template) templates.get (tmpname);
-    }    
- 
+    }
+
+    /**
+     *  Get a generic function file defined for this prototype.
+     */
     public FunctionFile getFunctionFile (String ffname) {
 	return (FunctionFile) functions.get (ffname);
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get an action file defined for this prototype. Action
+     *  files are functions with a .hac extension
+     *  that are accessible publicly via web interface.
+     */
     public ActionFile getActionFile (String afname) {
 	return (ActionFile) actions.get (afname);
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get a Skinfile for this prototype. This only works for skins
+     *  residing in the prototype directory, not for skin files in
+     *  other locations or database stored skins.
+     */
     public SkinFile getSkinFile (String sfname) {
 	return (SkinFile) skins.get (sfname);
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get a skin for this prototype. This only works for skins
+     *  residing in the prototype directory, not for skins files in
+     *  other locations or database stored skins.
+     */
     public Skin getSkin (String sfname) {
 	SkinFile sf = (SkinFile) skins.get (sfname);
 	if (sf != null)
@@ -105,18 +149,34 @@ public final class Prototype {
 	return upd;
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get the last time any script has been re-read for this prototype.
+     */
     public long getLastUpdate () {
 	return lastUpdate;
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Signal that some script in this prototype has been
+     *  re-read from disk and needs to be re-compiled by
+     *  the evaluators.
+     */
     public void markUpdated () {
 	lastUpdate = System.currentTimeMillis ();
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Get the time at which this prototype's scripts were checked
+     *  for changes for the last time.
+     */
     public long getLastCheck () {
 	return lastCheck;
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Signal that the prototype's scripts have been checked for 
+     *  changes.
+     */
     public void markChecked () {
 	lastCheck = System.currentTimeMillis ();
     }