--- loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2001/12/11 19:37:12	1.14
+++ loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2001/12/11 23:38:28	1.15
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # a pile of common routines
 #
-# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.14 2001/12/11 19:37:12 harris41 Exp $
+# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.15 2001/12/11 23:38:28 harris41 Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ use Apache::lonmsg();
 my %language;
 my %cprtag;
 my %fe; my %fd;
+my %fc;
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BEGIN
 sub BEGIN {
@@ -67,6 +68,17 @@ sub BEGIN {
 	    $cprtag{$key}=$val;
 	}
     }
+# ------------------------------------------------------------- file categories
+    {
+	my $fh=Apache::File->new($Apache::lonnet::perlvar{'lonTabDir'}.
+				 '/filecategories.tab');
+	while (<$fh>) {
+	    next if /^\#/;
+	    chomp;
+	    my ($key,$val)=(split(/\s+/,$_,2));
+	    push @{$fc{$key}},$val;
+	}
+    }
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------ file types
     {
 	my $fh=Apache::File->new("$perlvar{'lonTabDir'}/filetypes.tab");
@@ -84,42 +96,47 @@ sub BEGIN {
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------- Language IDs
 sub languageids {
-
+    return keys(%language);
 }
 
 # -------------------------------------------------------- Language Description
 sub languagedescription {
-
+    return $language{shift};
 }
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright IDs
 sub copyrightids {
-
+    return keys(%cprtag);
 }
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------- Copyright Description
 sub copyrightdescription {
-
+    return $cprtag{shift};
 }
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------- File Categories
 sub filecategories {
+    return keys(%fc);
+}
 
+# ------------------------------------------------------------- File Categories
+sub filecategorytypes {
+    return @{$fc{lc(shift)}};
 }
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------ File Types
 sub fileextensions {
-
+    return keys(%fe);
 }
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------- Embedding Style
 sub fileembstyle {
-
+    return $fe{lc(shift)};
 }
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------ Description Text
 sub filedescription {
-
+    return $fd{lc(shift)};
 }
 
 sub get_previous_attempt {