diff --git a/composer/layout/README.txt b/composer/layout/README.txt
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/composer/layout/README.txt
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+=================
+Layout Management
+=================
+
+  ($Id$)
+
+  >>> from cybertools.composer.layout.base import Layout
+
diff --git a/composer/layout/__init__.py b/composer/layout/__init__.py
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index 0000000..38314f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/composer/layout/__init__.py
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+"""
+$Id$
+"""
diff --git a/composer/layout/base.py b/composer/layout/base.py
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+++ b/composer/layout/base.py
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+#
+#  Copyright (c) 2008 Helmut Merz helmutm@cy55.de
+#
+#  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.
+#
+#  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, write to the Free Software
+#  Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+#
+
+"""
+Basic classes for layouts and layout components.
+
+$Id$
+"""
+
+from zope.interface import implements
+
+from cybertools.composer.base import Component, Element, Compound
+from cybertools.composer.base import Template
+from cybertools.composer.layout.interfaces import ILayout
+from cybertools.util.jeep import Jeep
+
+
+class Layout(Template):
+
+    implements(ILayout)
+
+    name = u''
+    manager = None
+
diff --git a/composer/layout/configure.zcml b/composer/layout/configure.zcml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e47e39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/composer/layout/configure.zcml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<!-- $Id$ -->
+
+<configure
+    xmlns="http://namespaces.zope.org/zope"
+    xmlns:browser="http://namespaces.zope.org/browser"
+    i18n_domain="cybertools.composer">
+
+</configure>
diff --git a/composer/layout/interfaces.py b/composer/layout/interfaces.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..baebe2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/composer/layout/interfaces.py
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+#
+#  Copyright (c) 2008 Helmut Merz helmutm@cy55.de
+#
+#  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.
+#
+#  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, write to the Free Software
+#  Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+#
+
+"""
+Layouts and layout elements and their association with content objects.
+
+$Id$
+"""
+
+from zope.interface import Interface, Attribute
+from zope.i18nmessageid import MessageFactory
+from zope import schema
+from zope.schema.vocabulary import SimpleVocabulary, SimpleTerm
+
+from cybertools.composer.interfaces import ITemplate, IComponent
+from cybertools.composer.interfaces import IInstance as IBaseInstance
+
+_ = MessageFactory('cybertools.composer')
+
+
+class ILayout(ITemplate):
+    """ Represents an ordered sequence of layout elements.
+    """
+
+    name = schema.ASCII(
+                title=_(u'Layout name'),
+                description=_(u'The internal name of the layout.'),
+                required=True,)
+    title = schema.TextLine(
+                title=_(u'Title'),
+                description=_(u'The title of the layout'),
+                required=True,)
+    description = schema.Text(
+                title=_(u'Description'),
+                description=_(u'A medium-length description.'),
+                required=False,)
+
+
+class ILayoutComponent(IComponent):
+    """ May be used for data entry or display.
+    """
+
+    name = schema.ASCII(
+                title=_(u'Component name'),
+                description=_(u'The internal name of the component'),
+                required=True,)
+    title = schema.TextLine(
+                title=_(u'Title'),
+                description=_(u'The title or label of the component'),
+                required=True,)
+    description = schema.Text(
+                title=_(u'Description'),
+                description=_(u'A medium-length description.'),
+                required=False,)
+
+    componentType = Attribute(u'The type of the component, e.g. an image, '
+                    u'plain or HTML text, a reference to an object to be shown, '
+                    u'or a listing, ...')
+
+
+class ILayoutInstance(IBaseInstance):
+    """ An instance adapter for an arbitrary client object that associates
+        it with a layout.
+    """
+
+    componentAttributes = Attribute(u'A mapping``{componentName: value, ...}`` '
+                    u'specifying the parameter values entered for the components.')
diff --git a/composer/layout/tests.py b/composer/layout/tests.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..51fe062
--- /dev/null
+++ b/composer/layout/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# $Id$
+
+import unittest, doctest
+from zope.testing.doctestunit import DocFileSuite
+
+
+class Test(unittest.TestCase):
+    "Basic tests for the cybertools.composer.layout package."
+
+    def testBasics(self):
+        pass
+
+
+def test_suite():
+    flags = doctest.NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE | doctest.ELLIPSIS
+    return unittest.TestSuite((
+                unittest.makeSuite(Test),
+                DocFileSuite('README.txt', optionflags=flags),
+            ))
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main(defaultTest='test_suite')