diff --git a/phpgwapi/inc/class.php_ext.inc.php b/phpgwapi/inc/class.php_ext.inc.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f4ebf1933
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpgwapi/inc/class.php_ext.inc.php
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+<?php
+  /**************************************************************************\
+  * phpGroupWare API - Utilies loader                                        *
+  * This file written by Miles Lott <milosch@phpgroupware.org>               *
+  * -------------------------------------------------------------------------*
+  * This library is part of the phpGroupWare API                             *
+  * http://www.phpgroupware.org/api                                          * 
+  * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *
+  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it  *
+  * under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by *
+  * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License,         *
+  * or any later version.                                                    *
+  * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but      *
+  * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of               *
+  * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.                     *
+  * See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.              *
+  * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License *
+  * along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,  *
+  * Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA            *
+  \**************************************************************************/
+
+  /* $Id$ */
+
+	/* Test for various php extensions and optionally load them */
+	class php_ext
+	{
+		var $os_ext = '';
+
+		var $test_function = array(
+			'xml' => array(
+				'function' => 'xml_parser_create',
+				'extfile'  => array('xml','php3_xml')
+			),
+			'gd' => array(
+				'function' => 'imagecreate'
+			)
+		);
+		/*
+		 * $ext  php extension to test
+		 * $load try to load the extension via dl()
+		 */
+		function php_ext($ext='',$load=True)
+		{
+			//phpinfo();exit;
+			if (PHP_OS == 'Windows' || PHP_OS == 'OS/2')
+			{
+				$this->os_ext = '.dll';
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				$this->os_ext = '.so';
+			}
+
+			if(!$ext)
+			{
+				return False;
+			}
+			return $this->check($ext,$load);
+		}
+
+		function check($ext='',$load=True)
+		{
+			if(extension_loaded($ext))
+			{
+				return True;
+			}
+			if(function_exists($this->test_function[$ext]['function']))
+			{
+				return True;
+			}
+
+			if($load)
+			{
+				return $this->load($ext);
+			}
+			return False;
+		}
+
+		function load($ext='')
+		{
+			if($ext)
+			{
+				if(is_array($this->test_function[$ext]['extfile']))
+				{
+					while(list(,$tf) = each($this->test_function[$ext]['extfile']))
+					{
+						eval('dl(' . $tf . '.' . $this->os_ext . ');');
+						$this->check($ext,True);
+					}
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					//dl($ext. $this->os_ext);
+					eval('dl(' . $ext . '.' . $this->os_ext . ');');
+					return $this->check($ext,False);
+				}
+			}
+			return False;
+		}
+	}
+?>