diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/lib/util.php
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+<?php // -*- php -*-
+// Copyright (C) 2012, Wolfgang Scherer, <Wolfgang.Scherer at gmx.de>
+// Sponsored by WIEDENMANN SEILE GMBH, http://www.wiedenmannseile.de
+//
+// This file is part of Wiedenmann Vacation.
+//
+// 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 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program 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
+// General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>,
+// or write to <Wolfgang.Scherer at gmx.de>
+
+// $_REQUEST['_DEBUG_'] = 1;
+// $_REQUEST['_DEBUG_TEST_'] = 1;
+require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../lib/config.php');
+require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../lib/language.php');
+
+// --------------------------------------------------
+// |||:sec:||| Benutzer
+// --------------------------------------------------
+
+function get_users()
+{
+    global $PASSWD_FILE;
+    global $USER_ID_MIN;
+    global $USER_ID_MAX;
+    global $ALLOWED_USERS;
+    global $INVALID_USERS;
+    global $HOME_PFX;
+
+    $passwd = file_get_contents($PASSWD_FILE);
+    $lines = explode("\n", $passwd);
+    $users = Array();
+    //var_dump($lines);
+    foreach ($lines as $line) {
+        if (empty($line)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        $fields = explode(':', $line);
+        $user = $fields[0];
+        $uid = $fields[2];
+        $home = $fields[5];
+
+        // uncoditionally accept allowed users
+        if (!in_array($user, $ALLOWED_USERS)) {
+            if ($uid < $USER_ID_MIN || $uid > $USER_ID_MAX) {
+                // skip users with a user id outside the allowed range
+                continue;
+            }
+            $home_pos = strpos($home, $HOME_PFX);
+            if ($home_pos === false || $home_pos > 0) {
+                // skip users without a HOME directory
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (in_array($user, $INVALID_USERS)) {
+                // skip invalid users
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+        $users[$user] = Array($user, $home);
+    }
+    ksort($users);
+    return $users;
+}
+
+function make_htpasswd()
+{
+    global $SHADOW_FILE;
+    global $HTPASSWD_FILE;
+    $users = get_users();
+    $user_names = array_keys($users);
+    $shadow = file_get_contents($SHADOW_FILE);
+    $lines = explode("\n", $shadow);
+    $pw_ent = Array();
+    //var_dump($lines);
+    foreach ($lines as $line) {
+        if (empty($line)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        $fields = explode(':', $line);
+        $user = $fields[0];
+        $pass = $fields[1];
+        if (in_array($user, $user_names)) {
+            $pw_ent[] = sprintf('%s:%s', $user, $pass);
+        }
+    }
+    $htpwd = fopen($HTPASSWD_FILE, 'w');
+    fwrite($htpwd, implode($pw_ent, "\n"));
+    fclose($htpwd);
+}
+
+// --------------------------------------------------
+// |||:sec:||| substitute_elements
+// --------------------------------------------------
+
+// |:check:| syntax error on PHP 5.2.x (mecki)
+// class substitute_elements_check
+// {
+//     const _doc_ = <<<'DOC'
+// Markierungen in String ersetzen.
+
+// function substitute_elements ($string, $substitutions=array(), $keep_unknown=NULL, $pfx='@', $sfx=NULL)
+
+// Falls eine Markierung gefunden wurde, die nicht in $substitutions
+// enthalten ist, wird sie durch einen leeren String ersetzt, falls
+// $keep_unknown == false, andernfalls wird die Markierung
+// unverändert beibehalten.
+
+// Ist $keep_unknown == NULL (Standardwert), dann wird es auf
+// isset($_REQUEST['_DEBUG_']) gesetzt. Im Debug-Modus werden die
+// Markierungen also beibehalten im Normal-Modus nicht.
+// DOC;
+//     const _check_ = <<<'CHECK'
+// global $BRNL;
+
+// $string = 'Eine @Ersetzung@ an @dieser@ Stelle.' . $BRNL;
+
+// $substitutions = array(
+//     'Ersetzung' => 'neue Sache',
+//     );
+
+// echo substitute_elements($string, $substitutions, True);
+// echo substitute_elements($string, $substitutions, False);
+// CHECK;
+//     static $_check_output_;
+// }
+
+function substitute_elements (
+    $string, $substitutions=array(), $keep_unknown=NULL, $pfx='@', $sfx=NULL)
+{
+    if ( !isset($keep_unknown) )
+    {
+        $keep_unknown = isset($_REQUEST['_DEBUG_']);
+    }
+
+    if ( !isset($sfx) )
+    {
+        $sfx = $pfx;
+    }
+
+    $subst_rx = $pfx . '([^' . substr($sfx, 0, 1) . ']+)' .$sfx;
+
+    $parts = preg_split('/' . $subst_rx . '/', $string);
+    //hline();
+    //$d->c()->kva($parts)->p();
+
+    $subst_keys = Array();
+    preg_match_all('/' . $subst_rx . '/', $string,
+                   $subst_keys, PREG_PATTERN_ORDER);
+    $subst_keys = $subst_keys[1];
+    //hline();
+    //$d->c()->kva($subst_keys)->p();
+
+    $result = Array();
+    $indx = 0;
+    foreach ($parts as $part)
+    {
+        // pdkv('// $part '."$indx", $part);
+        $result[] = $part;
+        if ( array_key_exists($indx, $subst_keys))
+        {
+            $subst_key = $subst_keys[$indx];
+            if (array_key_exists($subst_key, $substitutions))
+            {
+                $result[] = $substitutions[$subst_key];
+            }
+            else if ( $keep_unknown )
+            {
+                $result[] = $pfx . $subst_key . $sfx;
+            }
+            // pdkv('// $subst_key', $subst_key);
+        }
+        $indx += 1;
+    }
+    $result = implode('', $result);
+    return $result;
+}
+
+// --------------------------------------------------
+// |||:sec:||| Language Support
+// --------------------------------------------------
+
+if (!array_key_exists($LANGUAGE, $LC_LANGUAGES)) {
+    $LANGUAGE = 'en';
+}
+$LC_MESSAGES_EN = $LC_LANGUAGES['en'];
+$LC_MESSAGES = $LC_LANGUAGES[$LANGUAGE];
+
+if ( isset($_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE']))
+{
+    $accept_language = $_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'];
+    $accept_language = preg_replace('/;[^,;]*/', '', $accept_language);
+    $preferred_languages = explode(',', $accept_language);
+    // if (isset($_REQUEST['_DEBUG_'])) {
+    //     var_dump($preferred_languages);
+    // }
+    foreach ($preferred_languages as $plang) {
+        if (array_key_exists($plang, $LC_LANGUAGES)) {
+            $LC_MESSAGES = $LC_LANGUAGES[$plang];
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+function get_text($text)
+{
+    global $LC_MESSAGES_EN;
+    global $LC_MESSAGES;
+    if ( !array_key_exists($text, $LC_MESSAGES))
+    {
+        if ( array_key_exists($text, $LC_MESSAGES_EN) )
+        {
+            return $LC_MESSAGES_EN[$text];
+        }
+        return $text;
+    }
+    return $LC_MESSAGES[$text];
+}
+
+// --------------------------------------------------
+// |||:sec:||| Überschrift/Fehlermeldung
+// --------------------------------------------------
+
+function shl($message)
+{
+    return sprintf('<h3>%s</h3>', $message);
+}
+
+function hl($message)
+{
+    echo shl($message)."\n";
+}
+
+function error_msg($message)
+{
+    echo sprintf('<span class="error"><strong>%s</strong></span>'."\n", $message);
+}
+
+//
+// :ide-menu: Emacs IDE Menu - Buffer @BUFFER@
+// . M-x `eIDE-menu' ()(eIDE-menu "z")
+// :ide: COMPILE: PHP _DEBUG_=2 _DEBUG_TEST_=2
+// . (compile (concat "php " (file-name-nondirectory (buffer-file-name)) " _DEBUG_=2 _DEBUG_TEST_=2"))
+
+// :ide: QUO: $this->
+// . (insert "$this->" )
+
+// :ide: COMPILE: PHP w/o args
+// . (compile (concat "php " (file-name-nondirectory (buffer-file-name)) ""))
+
+// :ide: COMPILE: PHP _DEBUG_=1 _DEBUG_TEST_=1
+// . (compile (concat "php " (file-name-nondirectory (buffer-file-name)) " _DEBUG_=1 _DEBUG_TEST_=1"))
+
+//
+// Local Variables:
+// mode: php
+// End:
+?>