diff --git a/src/register/basiccell.c b/src/register/basiccell.c
index b035621468..6a2ffa1ea2 100644
--- a/src/register/basiccell.c
+++ b/src/register/basiccell.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "single.h"
 
@@ -20,6 +21,16 @@ void xaccInitSingleCell (SingleCell *cell)
    cell->alignment = 0;
    cell->value = 0x0;
    cell->modify_verify = NULL;
+   cell->extdata = NULL;
+   cell->block = NULL;
+}
+
+void xaccSetSingleCellValue (SingleCell *cell, char *val)
+{
+
+   if (cell->value) free (cell->value);
+   cell->value = strdup (val);
+
 }
 
 /* ------------------ end of file ---------------------- */
diff --git a/src/register/basiccell.h b/src/register/basiccell.h
index 894cc1d0a9..097ee3795c 100644
--- a/src/register/basiccell.h
+++ b/src/register/basiccell.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ typedef struct _SingleCell {
   short width;    /* column width, in chars, not pixels */
   short alignment; /* column text alignment */
 
+  /* private data */
   char * value;   /* current value */
 
   const char * (*modify_verify) (const char *old, 
@@ -50,11 +51,15 @@ typedef struct _SingleCell {
                                  const char *new); 
 
 
+  struct _CellBlock *block;  /* back-pointer to parent container */
+  void * extdata;  /* generic extension mechanism */
 } SingleCell;
 
 
 SingleCell * xaccMallocSingleCell (void);
 void         xaccInitSingleCell (SingleCell *);
 
+void         xaccSetSingleCellValue (SingleCell *, char *);
+
 #endif /* __XACC_SINGLE_H__ */
 /* ------------------ end of file ---------------------- */
diff --git a/src/register/cellblock.c b/src/register/cellblock.c
index 635f9034cf..c8619ae80b 100644
--- a/src/register/cellblock.c
+++ b/src/register/cellblock.c
@@ -59,23 +59,24 @@ xaccInitCellBlock (CellBlock *arr, int numrows, int numcols)
 /* =================================================== */
 
 void        
-xaccAddCell (CellBlock *arr, SingleCell *cell) 
+xaccAddCell (CellBlock *arr, SingleCell *cell, int row, int col) 
 {
-   int i,j;
-
    if (!arr) return;
    if (!cell) return;
 
-   i = cell->row;
-   j = cell->col;
+   cell->row = row;
+   cell->col = col;
 
    /* avoid embarrasement if cell incorrectly specified */
-   if ((0 > i) || (0 > j)) return;
-   if ((i >= arr->numRows) || (j >= arr->numCols)) return;
+   if ((0 > row) || (0 > col)) return;
+   if ((row >= arr->numRows) || (col >= arr->numCols)) return;
 
-   arr->cells[i][j] = cell;
-   arr->widths[j] = cell->width;
-   arr->alignments[j] = cell->alignment;
+   arr->cells[row][col] = cell;
+   arr->widths[col] = cell->width;
+   arr->alignments[col] = cell->alignment;
+
+   /* install back-pointer to this container */
+   cell->block = (struct _CellBlock *) arr;
 }
 
 /* --------------- end of file ----------------- */
diff --git a/src/register/cellblock.h b/src/register/cellblock.h
index 43bb96684c..fce3393914 100644
--- a/src/register/cellblock.h
+++ b/src/register/cellblock.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ typedef struct _CellBlock {
   short         *widths;        /* column widths */
   unsigned char *alignments;    /* column text alignments */
 
+  struct _Table *table;         /* back-pointer to table */
 } CellBlock;
 
 
@@ -24,6 +25,6 @@ CellBlock * xaccMallocCellBlock (int numrows, int numcols);
 void        xaccInitCellBlock (CellBlock *, int numrows, int numcols);
 
 /* add a cell to the array */
-void        xaccAddCell (CellBlock *, SingleCell *);
+void        xaccAddCell (CellBlock *, SingleCell *, int row, int col);
 
 #endif __XACC_CELL_H__
diff --git a/src/register/main.c b/src/register/main.c
index 6054c94d8b..9063a50b49 100644
--- a/src/register/main.c
+++ b/src/register/main.c
@@ -20,49 +20,52 @@ CreateReg(Widget parent ) {
    CellBlock *curs, *header;
    SingleCell *cell;
 
-   curs = xaccMallocCellBlock (2, 10);
    header = xaccMallocCellBlock (1, 10);
 
-   cell = xaccMallocPriceCell();
-   cell->row = 0;
-   cell->col = 3;
+   cell = xaccMallocDateCell();
    cell->width = 9;
-   xaccAddCell (header, cell);
+   xaccAddCell (header, cell, 0, 0);
    
    cell = xaccMallocPriceCell();
-   cell->row = 0;
-   cell->col = 4;
    cell->width = 9;
-   xaccAddCell (header, cell);
+   xaccAddCell (header, cell, 0, 3);
    
    cell = xaccMallocPriceCell();
-   cell->row = 0;
-   cell->col = 4;
    cell->width = 9;
-   xaccAddCell (curs, cell);
+   xaccAddCell (header, cell, 0, 4);
+
+   cell = xaccMallocTextCell();
+   cell->width = 9;
+   xaccAddCell (header, cell, DESC_CELL_R, DESC_CELL_C);
+   
+   /* --------------------------- */
+   curs = xaccMallocCellBlock (2, 10);
    
    cell = xaccMallocDateCell();
-   cell->row = 0;
-   cell->col = 0;
    cell->width = 9;
-   xaccAddCell (curs, cell);
+   xaccAddCell (curs, cell, 0, 0);
    
    cell = xaccMallocTextCell();
-   cell->row = DESC_CELL_R;
-   cell->col = DESC_CELL_C;
    cell->width = 9;
-   xaccAddCell (curs, cell);
+   xaccAddCell (curs, cell, DESC_CELL_R, DESC_CELL_C);
    
    cell = xaccMallocTextCell();
-   cell->row = MEMO_CELL_R;
-   cell->col = MEMO_CELL_C;
    cell->width = 9;
-   xaccAddCell (curs, cell);
+   xaccAddCell (curs, cell, MEMO_CELL_R, MEMO_CELL_C);
+
+   cell = xaccMallocPriceCell();
+   cell->width = 9;
+   xaccAddCell (curs, cell, 0, 3);
+   
+   cell = xaccMallocPriceCell();
+   cell->width = 9;
+   xaccAddCell (curs, cell, 0, 4);
+   
    
 
    table =  xaccMallocTable (0, 0);
-   table -> cursor = curs;
    table -> header = header;
+   xaccSetCursor (table, curs);
    xaccInitTable (table, 15, 1);
 
    xaccCreateTable (table, parent, "yodudue");
diff --git a/src/register/table.c b/src/register/table.c
index a0613d6865..a0442bb6df 100644
--- a/src/register/table.c
+++ b/src/register/table.c
@@ -75,6 +75,23 @@ xaccInitTable (Table * table, int tile_rows, int tile_cols)
    }
 }
 
+/* ==================================================== */
+
+void
+xaccSetCursor (Table *table, CellBlock *curs)
+{
+   table->cursor = curs;
+
+   /* set back-pointer to table */
+   curs->table = (struct _Table *) table;
+}
+
+/* ==================================================== */
+
+void xaccSetTableValue (Table *table, char * val)
+{
+}
+
 /* ==================================================== */
 /* hack alert -- will core dump if numrows has changed, etc. */
 
diff --git a/src/register/table.h b/src/register/table.h
index b341204b37..53301804e1 100644
--- a/src/register/table.h
+++ b/src/register/table.h
@@ -50,5 +50,7 @@ void        xaccRefreshTable (Table *);
 /* add a cell to the array */
 void        xaccSetCursor (Table *, CellBlock *);
 
+void        xaccSetTableValue (Table *, char *);
+
 #endif __XACC_TABLE_H__
 /* ================== end of file ======================= */