diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Crud.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Crud.pm
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ce3850e0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Crud.pm
@@ -0,0 +1,293 @@
+package WebGUI::Crud;
+
+use strict;
+use Class::InsideOut qw(readonly private id register);
+use Tie::IxHash;
+use WebGUI::DateTime;
+use WebGUI::Exception;
+
+
+private objectData => my %objectData;
+readonly session => my %session;
+
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub create {
+	my ($class, $session, $properties) = @_;
+	
+	# validate 
+	unless (defined $session && $session->isa('WebGUI::Session')) {
+        WebGUI::Error::InvalidObject->throw(expected=>'WebGUI::Session', got=>(ref $session), error=>'Need a session.');
+    }
+	
+	# initialize
+	my $definition = $class->crud_definition;
+	my $tableKey = $class->crud_getTableKey;
+	my $tableName = $class->crud_getTableName;
+	my $db = $session->db;
+
+	# get creation date
+	my $now = WebGUI::DateTime->new($session, time())->toDatabase;
+
+	# determine sequence
+	my $sequenceKey = $class->crud_getSequenceKey;
+	my $clause = "where `".$sequenceKey."`" if ($sequenceKey);
+	my $sequenceNumber = $db->getScalar("select max(sequenceNumber) from `".$tableName."` $clause");
+	$sequenceNumber++;
+	
+	# create object
+	my $id = $db->setRow($tableName, $tableKey, {$tableKey=>'new', dateCreated=>$now, lastUpdated=>$now, sequenceNumber=>$sequenceNumber});
+	my $self = $class->new($session, $id);
+	$self->update($properties);
+	return $self;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_createTable {
+	my ($class, $session) = @_;
+	$session->db->write('create table `'.$class->crud_getTableName.'` (
+		`'.$class->crud_getTableKey.'` varchar(22) binary not null primary key,
+		sequenceNumber int not null default 1,
+		dateCreated datetime,
+		lastUpdated datetime
+		)');
+	$class->crud_updateTable($session);
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_definition {
+	my $class = shift;
+	tie my %properties, 'Tie::IxHash';
+	my %definition = (
+		tableName 	=> 'unamed_crud_table',
+		tableKey	=> 'id',
+		sequenceKey => '',
+		properties	=> \%properties,
+	);
+	return \%definition;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_dropTable {
+	my ($class, $session) = @_;
+	$session->db->write("drop table `".$class->crud_getTableName."`");
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_getProperties {
+	my $class = shift;
+	return $class->crud_definition->{properties};
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_getSequenceKey {
+	my $class = shift;
+	my $definition = $class->crud_definition;
+	return $definition->{sequenceKey};
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_getTableName {
+	my $class = shift;
+	return $class->crud_definition->{tableName};
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_getTableKey {
+	my $class = shift;
+	return $class->crud_definition->{tableKey};
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub crud_updateTable {
+	my ($class, $session) = @_;
+	my $db = $session->db;
+	my $tableName = '`'.$class->crud_getTableName.'`';
+	
+	# find out what fields already exist
+	my %tableFields = ();
+	my $sth = $db->read("DESCRIBE ".$tableName);
+	while (my ($col, $type) = $sth->array) {
+		$tableFields{$col} = $type;
+	}
+	
+	# update existing and create new fields
+	my $properties = $class->crud_getProperties;
+	foreach my $property (keys %{$properties}) {
+		my $control = WebGUI::Form::DynamicField->new( $session, %{ $properties->{ $property } });
+		my $fieldType = $control->getDatabaseFieldType;
+		if (exists $tableFields{$property}) {
+			### have to figure out field type matching
+			#unless ($fieldType eq $tableFields{$property}) {
+			#	$db->write("alter table $tableName change column `".$property."` `".$property."` $fieldType");
+			#}
+			delete $tableFields{$property};
+		}
+		else {
+			$db->write("alter table $tableName add column `".$property."` $fieldType");
+			delete $tableFields{$property};
+		}
+	}
+	
+	# delete fields that are no longer in the definition
+	foreach my $property (keys %tableFields) {
+		$db->write("alter table $tableName drop column `".$property."`");	
+	}
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub delete {
+	my $self = shift;
+	$self->session->db->deleteRow($self->crud_getTableName, $self->crud_getTableKey, $self->getId);
+	$self->reorder;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub demote {
+	my $self = shift;
+	my $tableKey = $self->crud_getTableKey;
+	my $tableName = $self->crud_getTableName;
+	my $sequenceKey = $self->crud_getSequenceKey;
+	my @params = ($self->get('sequenceNumber') + 1);
+	my $clause = '';
+	
+	# determine sequence
+	if ($sequenceKey) {
+		$clause = "`".$sequenceKey."`=? and";
+		unshift @params, $self->get($sequenceKey)
+	}
+	
+	# update database
+	my $db = $self->session->db;
+	$db->beginTransaction;
+    my ($id) = $db->quickArray("select `".$tableKey."` from `".$tableName."` where  $clause sequenceNumber=?", \@params);
+    if ($id ne "") {
+        $db->write("update `".$tableName."` set sequenceNumber=sequenceNumber+1 where `".$tableKey."`=?",[$self->getId]);
+        $db->write("update `".$tableName."` set sequenceNumber=sequenceNumber-1 where `".$tableKey."`=?",[$id]);
+    }
+	$db->commit;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub get {
+	my ($self, $name) = @_;
+	
+	# return a specific property
+	if (defined $name) {
+		return $self->objectData->{$name};
+	}
+	
+	# return a copy of all properties
+	my %copy = %{$self->objectData};
+	return \%copy;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub getId {
+	my $self = shift;
+	return $self->objectData->{$self->crud_getTableKey};
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub new {
+	my ($class, $session, $id) = @_;
+	my $tableKey = $class->crud_getTableKey;
+	
+	# validate
+	unless (defined $session && $session->isa('WebGUI::Session')) {
+        WebGUI::Error::InvalidObject->throw(expected=>'WebGUI::Session', got=>(ref $session), error=>'Need a session.');
+    }
+    unless (defined $id && $id =~ m/^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{22}$/) {
+        WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error=>'need a '.$tableKey);
+    }
+	
+	# retrieve object data
+	my $properties = $session->db->getRow($class->crud_getTableName, $tableKey, $id);
+	if ($properties->{$tableKey} eq '') {
+        WebGUI::Error::ObjectNotFound->throw(error=>'no such '.$tableKey, id=>$id);
+    }
+	
+	# set up object
+	my $self = register($class);
+	my $refId = id $self;
+	$objectData{$refId} = $properties;
+	$session{$refId} = $session;
+	return $self;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub promote {
+	my $self = shift;
+	my $tableKey = $self->crud_getTableKey;
+	my $tableName = $self->crud_getTableName;
+	my $sequenceKey = $self->crud_getSequenceKey;
+	my $sequenceKeyValue = $self->get($sequenceKey);
+	my @params = ($self->get('sequenceNumber')-1);
+	my $clause = '';
+	
+	# determine sequence type
+	if ($sequenceKey) {
+		$clause = "`".$sequenceKey."`=? and";
+		unshift @params, $self->get($sequenceKey)
+	}
+	
+	# make database changes
+	my $db = $self->session->db;
+	$db->beginTransaction;
+    my ($id) = $db->quickArray("select `".$tableKey."` from `".$tableName."` where `".$sequenceKey."`=? $clause", \@params);
+    if ($id ne "") {
+        $db->write("update `".$tableName."` set sequenceNumber=sequenceNumber-1 where `".$tableKey."`=?",[$self->getId]);
+        $db->write("update `".$tableName."` set sequenceNumber=sequenceNumber+1 where `".$tableKey."`=?",[$id]);
+    }
+	$db->commit;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub reorder {
+	my ($self) = @_;
+	my $tableKey = $self->crud_getTableKey;
+	my $tableName = $self->crud_getTableName;
+	my $sequenceKey = $self->crud_getSequenceKey;
+	my $sequenceKeyValue = $self->get($sequenceKey);	
+	my $i = 1;
+	my $db = $self->session->db;
+	
+	# find all the items in this sequence
+	my $clause = ($sequenceKey) ? "where `".$sequenceKey."`=?" : '';
+	my $current = $db->read("select `".$tableKey."` from `".$tableName."`
+			$clause order by sequenceNumber", [$sequenceKeyValue]);
+	
+	# query to update items in the sequence
+	$clause = ($sequenceKey) ? "and `".$sequenceKey."`=?" : '';
+	my $change = $db->prepare("update `".$tableName."` set sequenceNumber=?
+			where `".$tableKey."`=? $clause");
+	
+	# make the changes
+	$db->beginTransaction;
+    while (my ($id) = $current->array) {
+		if ($id eq $self->getId) {
+			$objectData{id $self} = $i;
+		}
+		$change->execute([$i, $id, $sequenceKeyValue]);
+        $i++;
+    }
+	$db->commit;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub update {
+	my ($self, $properties) = @_;
+	
+	# set last updated
+	$properties->{lastUpdated} = WebGUI::DateTime->new($self->session, time())->toDatabase;
+	
+	# update memory
+	my $refId = id $self;
+	%{$objectData{$refId}} = (%{$objectData{$refId}}, %{$properties});
+	
+	# update the database
+	$self->session->db->setRow($self->crud_getTableName, $self->crud_getTableKey, $objectData{$refId});
+}
+
+
+1;