diff --git a/src/utils/mudform.py b/src/utils/mudform.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cbce9e451
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/mudform.py
@@ -0,0 +1,303 @@
+# coding=utf-8
+"""
+Evform - a way to create advanced ascii forms
+
+
+This is intended for creating advanced ascii game forms, such as a
+large pretty character sheet or info document.
+
+The system works on the basis of a readin template that is given in a
+separate python file imported into the handler. This file contains
+some optional settings and a string mapping out the form. The template
+has markers in it to denounce fields to fill. The markers map the
+absolute size of the field and will be filled with an evtable.Cell
+object when displaying the form.
+
+Example of input file testform.py:
+
+
+CELLCHAR = "x"
+TABLECHAR = "c"
+FORM = '''
+ .-------------------------------------.
+/                                       \
+| Name: xxx1xxxx   Player: xxxxx2xxxxx  |
+|                                       |
+>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
+| Desc: xxxxxxxxxxx   Str:x4x  Dex:x5x  |
+|       xxxxx3xxxxx   Int:x6x  Sta:x7x  |
+|       xxxxxxxxxxx   Luc:x8x  Mag:x9x  |
+|                                       |
+>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
+|                                       |
+| Skills:                               |
+| ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc |
+| ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc |
+| ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc |
+|                                       |
+`--------------------------------------´
+'''
+
+The first line of the FORM string is ignored.
+
+Use as follows:
+
+    MudForm("path/to/testform.py")
+
+
+By marking out rectangles, this area gets reserved for the Cell.
+Embedded inside each area must be a one-character identifier to tag
+the area (so the smallest form size is 3 characters including the
+marker). This marker is any character except the designated formchar
+("x" in this case). Rectangles can have any size, but must be
+separated from each other by at least one other character's width.
+
+Parsing this file will result in a CharMap object. This is
+primed with a dictionary of {<tag>:function} where the function
+is responsible for producing a string for each form location. The
+Cell in each location will enforce the size given by the template
+and will crop too-long text.
+
+"""
+
+import re
+import copy
+from src.utils.mudtable import Cell, MudTable
+from src.utils.utils import all_from_module
+
+class MudForm(object):
+    """
+    This object is instantiated with a text file and parses
+    it for rectangular form fields. It can then be fed a
+    mapping so as to populate the fields with fixed-width
+    Cell objects for displaying
+    """
+    def __init__(self, filename, cells=None, tables=None, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Read the template file and parse it for formfields
+
+        kwargs:
+            <identifier> - text for fill into form
+        """
+        self.filename = filename
+
+        self.cells_mapping =  dict((str(key), value) for key, value in cells.items()) if cells  else {}
+        self.tables_mapping = dict((str(key), value) for key, value in tables.items()) if tables else {}
+
+        self.cellchar = "x"
+        self.tablechar = "c"
+
+        self.raw_form = []
+        self.form = []
+
+        # clean kwargs (these cannot be overridden)
+        kwargs.pop("enforce_size", None)
+        kwargs.pop("width", None)
+        kwargs.pop("height", None)
+        # table/cell options
+        self.options = kwargs
+
+        self.reload()
+
+    def _parse_rectangles(self, cellchar, tablechar, form, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Parse a form for rectangular formfields identified by
+        formchar enclosing an identifier.
+        """
+
+        # update options given at creation with new input - this
+        # allows e.g. self.map() to add custom settings for individual
+        # cells/tables
+        custom_options = copy.copy(self.options)
+        custom_options.update(kwargs)
+
+        nform = len(form)
+
+        mapping = {}
+        cell_coords = {}
+        table_coords = {}
+
+        # Locate the identifier tags and the horizontal end coords for all forms
+        re_cellchar = re.compile(r"%s+([^%s])%s+" % (cellchar, cellchar, cellchar))
+        re_tablechar = re.compile(r"%s+([^%s])%s+" % (tablechar, tablechar, tablechar))
+        for iy, line in enumerate(form):
+            # find cells
+            ix0 = 0
+            while True:
+                match = re_cellchar.search(line, ix0)
+                if match:
+                    # get the width of the rectangle directly from the match
+                    cell_coords[match.group(1)] = [iy, match.start(), match.end()]
+                    ix0 = match.end()
+                else:
+                    break
+            # find tables
+            ix0 = 0
+            while True:
+                match = re_tablechar.search(line, ix0)
+                if match:
+                    # get the width of the rectangle directly from the match
+                    table_coords[match.group(1)] = [iy, match.start(), match.end()]
+                    ix0 = match.end()
+                else:
+                    break
+        print "table_coords:", table_coords
+
+        # get rectangles and assign Cells
+        for key, (iy, leftix, rightix) in cell_coords.items():
+
+            # scan up to find top of rectangle
+            dy_up = 0
+            if iy > 0:
+                for i in range(1,iy):
+                    #print "dy_up:", [form[iy-i][ix] for ix in range(leftix, rightix)]
+                    if all(form[iy-i][ix] == cellchar for ix in range(leftix, rightix)):
+                        dy_up += 1
+                    else:
+                        break
+            # find bottom edge of rectangle
+            dy_down = 0
+            if iy < nform-1:
+                for i in range(1,nform-iy-1):
+                    #print "dy_down:", [form[iy+i][ix]for ix in range(leftix, rightix)]
+                    if all(form[iy+i][ix] == cellchar for ix in range(leftix, rightix)):
+                        dy_down += 1
+                    else:
+                        break
+
+            #  we have our rectangle. Calculate size of Cell.
+            iyup = iy - dy_up
+            iydown = iy + dy_down
+            width = rightix - leftix
+            height = abs(iyup - iydown) + 1
+
+            # we have all the coordinates we need. Create Cell.
+            data = self.cells_mapping.get(key, "")
+            #if key == "1":
+            #print "creating cell '%s' (%s):" % (key, data)
+            #print "iy=%s, iyup=%s, iydown=%s, leftix=%s, rightix=%s, width=%s, height=%s" % (iy, iyup, iydown, leftix, rightix, width, height)
+
+            options = { "pad_left":0, "pad_right":0, "pad_top":0, "pad_bottom":0, "align":"l", "valign":"t", "enforce_size":True}
+            options.update(custom_options)
+            #if key=="4":
+            #print "options:", options
+
+            mapping[key] = (iyup, leftix, width, height, Cell(data, width=width, height=height,**options))
+
+        # get rectangles and assign Tables
+        for key, (iy, leftix, rightix) in table_coords.items():
+
+            # scan up to find top of rectangle
+            dy_up = 0
+            if iy > 0:
+                for i in range(1,iy):
+                    #print "dy_up:", [form[iy-i][ix] for ix in range(leftix, rightix)]
+                    if all(form[iy-i][ix] == tablechar for ix in range(leftix, rightix)):
+                        dy_up += 1
+                    else:
+                        break
+            # find bottom edge of rectangle
+            dy_down = 0
+            if iy < nform-1:
+                for i in range(1,nform-iy-1):
+                    #print "dy_down:", [form[iy+i][ix]for ix in range(leftix, rightix)]
+                    if all(form[iy+i][ix] == tablechar for ix in range(leftix, rightix)):
+                        dy_down += 1
+                    else:
+                        break
+
+            #  we have our rectangle. Calculate size of Table.
+            iyup = iy - dy_up
+            iydown = iy + dy_down
+            width = rightix - leftix
+            height = abs(iyup - iydown) + 1
+
+            # we have all the coordinates we need. Create Table.
+            table = self.tables_mapping.get(key, None)
+            #if key == "1":
+            print "creating table '%s' (%s):" % (key, data)
+            print "iy=%s, iyup=%s, iydown=%s, leftix=%s, rightix=%s, width=%s, height=%s" % (iy, iyup, iydown, leftix, rightix, width, height)
+
+            options = { "pad_left":0, "pad_right":0, "pad_top":0, "pad_bottom":0,
+                        "align":"l", "valign":"t", "enforce_size":True}
+            options.update(custom_options)
+            #if key=="4":
+            print "options:", options
+
+            if table:
+                table.reformat(width=width, height=height, **options)
+            else:
+                table = MudTable(width=width, height=height, **options)
+            mapping[key] = (iyup, leftix, width, height, table)
+
+        return mapping
+
+    def _populate_form(self, raw_form, mapping):
+        """
+        Insert cell contents into form at given locations
+        """
+        form = copy.copy(raw_form)
+        for key, (iy0, ix0, width, height, cell_or_table) in mapping.items():
+            # rect is a list of <height> lines, each <width> wide
+            rect = cell_or_table.get()
+            for il, rectline in enumerate(rect):
+                formline = form[iy0+il]
+                # insert new content, replacing old
+                form[iy0+il] = formline = formline[:ix0] + rectline + formline[ix0+width:]
+        return form
+
+    def map(self, cells=None, tables=None, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Add mapping for form.
+
+        keywords:
+            <identifier> - text
+        """
+        # clean kwargs (these cannot be overridden)
+        kwargs.pop("enforce_size", None)
+        kwargs.pop("width", None)
+        kwargs.pop("height", None)
+
+        new_cells =  dict((str(key), value) for key, value in cells.items()) if cells  else {}
+        new_tables = dict((str(key), value) for key, value in tables.items()) if tables else {}
+
+        self.cells_mapping.update(new_cells)
+        self.tables_mapping.update(new_tables)
+        self.reload()
+
+    def reload(self, filename=None, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Creates the form from a stored file name
+        """
+        # clean kwargs (these cannot be overridden)
+        kwargs.pop("enforce_size", None)
+        kwargs.pop("width", None)
+        kwargs.pop("height", None)
+
+        if filename:
+            self.filename = filename
+        filename = self.filename
+
+        datadict = all_from_module(filename)
+
+        cellchar = datadict.get("CELLCHAR", "x")
+        self.cellchar = cellchar[0] if len(cellchar) > 1 else cellchar
+        tablechar = datadict.get("TABLECHAR", "c")
+        self.tablechar = tablechar[0] if len(tablechar) > 1 else tablechar
+
+        # split into a list of list of lines. Form can be indexed with form[iy][ix]
+        self.raw_form = datadict.get("FORM", "").split("\n")
+        # strip first line
+        self.raw_form = self.raw_form[1:] if self.raw_form else self.raw_form
+
+        self.options.update(kwargs)
+
+        # parse and replace
+        self.mapping = self._parse_rectangles(self.cellchar, self.tablechar, self.raw_form, **kwargs)
+        self.form = self._populate_form(self.raw_form, self.mapping)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        "Prints the form"
+        return "\n".join(self.form)
+
+
diff --git a/src/utils/mudtable.py b/src/utils/mudtable.py
index cbafc93d1..486987bb8 100644
--- a/src/utils/mudtable.py
+++ b/src/utils/mudtable.py
@@ -529,8 +529,10 @@ class MudTable(object):
         hchar = kwargs.pop("header_line_char", "~")
         self.header_line_char = hchar[0] if hchar else "~"
 
-        border = kwargs.pop("border", None)
-        if not border in (None, "none", "table", "tablecols",
+        border = kwargs.pop("border", "none")
+        if border is None:
+            border = "none"
+        if not border in ("none", "table", "tablecols",
                           "header", "incols", "cols", "rows", "cells"):
             raise Exception("Unsupported border type: '%s'" % border)
         self.border = border