diff --git a/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_tracking.inc.php b/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_tracking.inc.php
index 786d4c462d..9187aa233d 100644
--- a/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_tracking.inc.php
+++ b/addressbook/inc/class.addressbook_tracking.inc.php
@@ -277,24 +277,9 @@ class addressbook_tracking extends bo_tracking
 					break;
 			}
 		}
-		if ($this->contacts->customfields)
-		{
-			foreach($this->contacts->customfields as $name => $custom)
-			{
-				if (!$header_done)
-				{
-					$details['custom'] = array(
-						'value' => lang('Custom fields').':',
-						'type'  => 'reply',
-					);
-					$header_done = true;
-				}
-				$details['#'.$name] = array(
-					'label' => $custom['label'],
-					'value' => $custom['type'] == 'select' ? $custom['values'][$data['#'.$name]] : $data['#'.$name],
-				);
-			}
-		}
+		// add custom fields for given type
+		$details += $this->get_customfields($data, $data['tid']);
+
 		return $details;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.bo_merge.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.bo_merge.inc.php
index 03d82c81f0..84bcd98504 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.bo_merge.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.bo_merge.inc.php
@@ -246,42 +246,11 @@ abstract class bo_merge
 			}
 			if ($name != 'photo') $replacements['$$'.($prefix ? $prefix.'/':'').$name.'$$'] = $value;
 		}
-		// set custom fields
+		// set custom fields, should probably go to a general method all apps can use
 		foreach($this->contacts->customfields as $name => $field)
 		{
 			$name = '#'.$name;
-			$value = (string)$contact[$name];
-			switch($field['type'])
-			{
-				case 'select-account':
-					if ($value) $value = common::grab_owner_name($value);
-					break;
-
-				case 'select':
-					if (count($field['values']) == 1 && isset($field['values']['@']))
-					{
-						$field['values'] = customfields_widget::_get_options_from_file($field['values']['@']);
-					}
-					$values = array();
-					foreach($field['rows'] > 1 ? explode(',',$value) : (array) $value as $value)
-					{
-						$values[] = $field['values'][$value];
-					}
-					$value = implode(', ',$values);
-					break;
-
-				case 'date':
-				case 'date-time':
-					if ($value)
-					{
-						$format = $field['len'] ? $field['len'] : ($field['type'] == 'date' ? 'Y-m-d' : 'Y-m-d H:i:s');
-						$date = array_combine(preg_split('/[\\/. :-]/',$format),preg_split('/[\\/. :-]/',$value));
-						$value = common::dateformatorder($date['Y'],$date['m'],$date['d'],true);
-						if (isset($date['H'])) $value .= ' '.common::formattime($date['H'],$date['i']);
-					}
-					break;
-			}
-			$replacements['$$'.($prefix ? $prefix.'/':'').$name.'$$'] = $value;
+			$replacements['$$'.($prefix ? $prefix.'/':'').$name.'$$'] = customfields_widget::format_customfield($field, (string)$contact[$name]);
 		}
 
 		// Add in extra cat field
diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.bo_tracking.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.bo_tracking.inc.php
index 5705576b01..781ea51105 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.bo_tracking.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.bo_tracking.inc.php
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <?php
 /**
- * eGroupWare - abstract base class for tracking (history log, notifications, ...)
+ * EGroupware - abstract base class for tracking (history log, notifications, ...)
  *
  * @link http://www.egroupware.org
  * @author Ralf Becker <RalfBecker-AT-outdoor-training.de>
  * @package etemplate
  * @subpackage api
- * @copyright (c) 2007-10 by Ralf Becker <RalfBecker-AT-outdoor-training.de>
+ * @copyright (c) 2007-12 by Ralf Becker <RalfBecker-AT-outdoor-training.de>
  * @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php GPL - GNU General Public License
  * @version $Id$
  */
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ abstract class bo_tracking
 	/**
 	 * Get the details of an entry
 	 *
+	 * You can/should call $this->get_customfields() to add custom fields.
+	 *
 	 * @param array|object $data
 	 * @param int|string $receiver nummeric account_id or email address
 	 * @return array of details as array with values for keys 'label','value','type'
@@ -219,6 +221,43 @@ abstract class bo_tracking
 		return array();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get custom fields of an entry of an entry
+	 *
+	 * @param array|object $data
+	 * @param string $only_type2=null if given only return fields of type2 == $only_type2
+	 * @return array of details as array with values for keys 'label','value','type'
+	 */
+	function get_customfields($data, $only_type2=null)
+	{
+		$details = array();
+
+		if (($cfs = config::get_customfields($this->app, $all_private_too=false, $only_type2)))
+		{
+			$header_done = false;
+			foreach($cfs as $name => $field)
+			{
+				if (in_array($field['type'], customfields_widget::$non_printable_fields)) continue;
+
+				if (!$header_done)
+				{
+					$details['custom'] = array(
+						'value' => lang('Custom fields').':',
+						'type'  => 'reply',
+					);
+					$header_done = true;
+				}
+				//error_log(__METHOD__."() $name: data['#$name']=".array2string($data['#'.$name]).", field[values]=".array2string($field['values']));
+				$details['#'.$name] = array(
+					'label' => $field['label'],
+					'value' => customfields_widget::format_customfield($field, $data['#'.$name]),
+				);
+				//error_log("--> details['#$name']=".array2string($details['#'.$name]));
+			}
+		}
+		return $details;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get a config value, which can depend on $data and $old
 	 *
diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.customfields_widget.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.customfields_widget.inc.php
index 18e51cf505..c6355ffedc 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.customfields_widget.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.customfields_widget.inc.php
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 /**
- * eGroupWare eTemplate Widget for custom fields
+ * EGroupware eTemplate Widget for custom fields
  *
  * @link http://www.egroupware.org
  * @author Ralf Becker <RalfBecker-AT-outdoor-training.de>
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ class customfields_widget
 	 * @param string $file file name inside the eGW server root, either relative to it or absolute
 	 * @return array in case of an error we return a single option with the message
 	 */
-	function _get_options_from_file($file)
+	public static function _get_options_from_file($file)
 	{
 		if (!($path = realpath($file{0} == '/' ? $file : EGW_SERVER_ROOT.'/'.$file)) ||	// file does not exist
 			substr($path,0,strlen(EGW_SERVER_ROOT)+1) != EGW_SERVER_ROOT.'/' ||	// we are NOT inside the eGW root
@@ -593,4 +593,89 @@ class customfields_widget
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Non printable custom fields eg. UI elements
+	 *
+	 * @var array
+	 */
+	public static $non_printable_fields = array('button');
+
+	/**
+	 * Format a single custom field value as string
+	 *
+	 * @param array $field field defintion incl. type
+	 * @param string $value field value
+	 * @return string formatted value
+	 */
+	public static function format_customfield(array $field, $value)
+	{
+		switch($field['type'])
+		{
+			case 'select-account':
+				if ($value)
+				{
+					$values = array();
+					foreach($field['rows'] > 1 ? explode(',', $value) : (array) $value as $value)
+					{
+						$values[] = common::grab_owner_name($value);
+					}
+					$value = implode(', ',$values);
+				}
+				break;
+
+			case 'checkbox':
+				$value = $value ? 'X' : '';
+				break;
+
+			case 'select':
+			case 'radio':
+				if (count($field['values']) == 1 && isset($field['values']['@']))
+				{
+					$field['values'] = customfields_widget::_get_options_from_file($field['values']['@']);
+				}
+				$values = array();
+				foreach($field['rows'] > 1 ? explode(',', $value) : (array) $value as $value)
+				{
+					$values[] = isset($field['values'][$value]) ? $field['values'][$value] : '#'.$value;
+				}
+				$value = implode(', ', $values);
+				break;
+
+			case 'date':
+			case 'date-time':
+				if ($value)
+				{
+					$format = $field['len'] ? $field['len'] : ($field['type'] == 'date' ? 'Y-m-d' : 'Y-m-d H:i:s');
+					$date = array_combine(preg_split('/[\\/. :-]/',$format), preg_split('/[\\/. :-]/',$value));
+					$value = common::dateformatorder($date['Y'], $date['m'], $date['d'],true);
+					if (isset($date['H'])) $value .= ' '.common::formattime($date['H'], $date['i']);
+				}
+				break;
+
+			case 'htmlarea':	// ToDo: EMail probably has a nicer html2text method
+				if ($value) $value = strip_tags(preg_replace('/<(br|p)[^>]*>/i', "\r\n", str_replace(array("\r", "\n"), '', $value)));
+				break;
+
+			case 'ajax_select':	// ToDo: returns unchanged value for now
+				break;
+
+			default:
+				// handling for several link types
+				if ($value && in_array($field['type'], self::get_customfield_link_types()))
+				{
+					if ($field['type'] == 'link-entry' || strpos($value, ':') !== false)
+					{
+						list($app, $value) = explode(':', $value);
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						$app = $field['type'];
+					}
+					if ($value) $value = egw_link::title($app, $value);
+				}
+				break;
+		}
+		return $value;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/infolog/inc/class.infolog_tracking.inc.php b/infolog/inc/class.infolog_tracking.inc.php
index 9a60c4709c..c7716706e2 100644
--- a/infolog/inc/class.infolog_tracking.inc.php
+++ b/infolog/inc/class.infolog_tracking.inc.php
@@ -187,15 +187,13 @@ class infolog_tracking extends bo_tracking
 	/**
 	 * Get the details of an entry
 	 *
-	 * @param array $data
-	 * @param string $datetime_format of user to notify, eg. 'Y-m-d H:i'
-	 * @param int $tz_offset_s offset in sec to be add to server-time to get the user-time of the user to notify
+	 * @param array|object $data
+	 * @param int|string $receiver nummeric account_id or email address
 	 * @return array of details as array with values for keys 'label','value','type'
 	 */
-	function get_details($data)
+	function get_details($data,$receiver=null)
 	{
 		//error_log(__METHOD__.__LINE__.' Data:'.array2string($data));
-		$header_done = false;
 		$responsible = array();
 		if ($data['info_responsible'])
 		{
@@ -245,30 +243,9 @@ class infolog_tracking extends bo_tracking
 			'value' => $data['info_des'],
 			'type'  => 'multiline',
 		);
-		// should be moved to bo_tracking because auf the different custom field types
-		if ($this->infolog->customfields)
-		{
-			foreach($this->infolog->customfields as $name => $field)
-			{
-				if ($field['type2'] && !in_array($data['info_type'],explode(',',$field['type2']))) continue;	// different type
+		// add custom fields for given type
+		$details += $this->get_customfields($data, $data['info_type']);
 
-				if (!$header_done)
-				{
-					$details['custom'] = array(
-						'value' => lang('Custom fields').':',
-						'type'  => 'reply',
-					);
-					$header_done = true;
-				}
-				//error_log(__METHOD__."() $name: data['#$name']=".array2string($data['#'.$name]).", field[values]=".array2string($field['values']));
-				$details['#'.$name] = array(
-					'label' => $field['label'],
-					'value' => is_array($field['values']) && $field['values'] && isset($data['#'.$name]) &&
-						array_key_exists((string)$data['#'.$name],$field['values']) ? $field['values'][$data['#'.$name]] : $data['#'.$name],
-				);
-				//error_log("--> details['#$name']=".array2string($details['#'.$name]));
-			}
-		}
 		return $details;
 	}