diff --git a/preferences/inc/class.bocategories.inc.php b/preferences/inc/class.bocategories.inc.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..898b2d02ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preferences/inc/class.bocategories.inc.php
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+<?php
+  /**************************************************************************\
+  * phpGroupWare - Preferences - categories                                  *
+  * http://www.phpgroupware.org                                              *
+  * Written by Bettina Gille [ceb@phpgroupware.org]                          *
+  * -----------------------------------------------                          *
+  *  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it *
+  *  under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the   *
+  *  Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your  *
+  *  option) any later version.                                              *
+  \**************************************************************************/
+  /* $Id$ */
+
+	class bocategories
+	{
+		var $cats;
+
+		var $start;
+		var $query;
+		var $sort;
+		var $order;
+
+		function bocategories($cats_app='')
+		{
+			$this->cats           = CreateObject('phpgwapi.categories','',$cats_app);
+
+			$this->read_sessiondata($cats_app);
+
+			$start  = $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['start']  ? $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['start']  : $GLOBALS['HTTP_GET_VARS']['start'];
+			$query  = $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['query']  ? $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['query']  : $GLOBALS['HTTP_GET_VARS']['query'];
+			$sort   = $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['sort']   ? $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['sort']   : $GLOBALS['HTTP_GET_VARS']['sort'];
+			$order  = $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['order']  ? $GLOBALS['HTTP_POST_VARS']['order']  : $GLOBALS['HTTP_GET_VARS']['order'];
+
+			if(!empty($start) || $start == '0' || $start == 0)
+			{
+				$this->start = $start;
+			}
+			if((empty($query) && !empty($this->query)) || !empty($query))
+			{
+				$this->query = $query;
+			}
+
+			if(isset($sort) && !empty($sort))
+			{
+				$this->sort = $sort;
+			}
+			if(isset($order) && !empty($order))
+			{
+				$this->order = $order;
+			}
+		}
+
+		function save_sessiondata($data, $cats_app)
+		{
+			$colum = $cats_app . '_cats';
+			$GLOBALS['phpgw']->session->appsession('session_data',$column,$data);
+		}
+
+		function read_sessiondata($cats_app)
+		{
+			$colum = $cats_app . '_cats';
+			$data = $GLOBALS['phpgw']->session->appsession('session_data',$column);
+
+			$this->start  = $data['start'];
+			$this->query  = $data['query'];
+			$this->sort   = $data['sort'];
+			$this->order  = $data['order'];
+		}
+
+		function get_list($global_cats)
+		{
+			return $this->cats->return_sorted_array($this->start,True,$this->query,$this->sort,$this->order,$global_cats);
+		}
+
+		function save_cat($values)
+		{
+			if ($values['access'])
+			{
+				$values['access'] = 'private';
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				$values['access'] = 'public';
+			}
+
+			if ($values['id'] && $values['id'] != 0)
+			{
+				return $this->cats->edit($values);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				return $this->cats->add($values);
+			}
+		}
+
+		function exists($data)
+		{
+			$data['type']   = $data['type'] ? $data['type'] : '';
+			$data['cat_id'] = $data['cat_id'] ? $data['cat_id'] : '';
+			return $this->cats->exists($data['type'],$data['cat_name'],$data['cat_id']);
+		}
+
+		function formatted_list($format,$type,$cat_parent,$global_cats)
+		{
+			return $this->cats->formated_list($format,$type,$cat_parent,$global_cats);
+		}
+
+		function delete($cat_id,$subs)
+		{
+			return $this->cats->delete($cat_id,$subs,!$subs);	// either delete the subs or modify them
+		}
+
+		function check_values($values)
+		{
+			if (strlen($values['descr']) >= 255)
+			{
+				$error[] = lang('Description can not exceed 255 characters in length !');
+			}
+
+			if (!$values['name'])
+			{
+				$error[] = lang('Please enter a name');
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				if (!$values['parent'])
+				{
+					$exists = $this->exists(array
+					(
+						'type'     => 'appandmains',
+						'cat_name' => $values['name'],
+						'cat_id'   => $values['id']
+					));
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					$exists = $this->exists(array
+					(
+						'type'     => 'appandsubs',
+						'cat_name' => $values['name'],
+						'cat_id'   => $values['id']
+					));
+				}
+
+				if ($exists == True)
+				{
+					$error[] = lang('This name has been used already');
+				}
+			}
+
+			if (is_array($error))
+			{
+				return $error;
+			}
+		}
+	}