Index: openacs-4/packages/xotcl-core/tcl/06-package-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/xotcl-core/tcl/06-package-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.41.2.30 -r1.41.2.31
--- openacs-4/packages/xotcl-core/tcl/06-package-procs.tcl	13 Aug 2020 18:16:34 -0000	1.41.2.30
+++ openacs-4/packages/xotcl-core/tcl/06-package-procs.tcl	26 Aug 2020 18:34:59 -0000	1.41.2.31
@@ -660,6 +660,34 @@
   ::xo::Package instforward exists_form_parameter  {%set :context} %proc
   ::xo::Package instforward returnredirect         {%set :context} %proc
 
+  ::xo::Package instproc instantiate_forms {
+    -forms:required
+    {-default_lang ""}
+    {-parent_id ""}
+  } {
+    set form_item_ids [list]
+    foreach item_ref [split $forms |] {
+      #
+      # The following regexp should include the majority of valid
+      # items refs.
+      #
+      if {![regexp {^[[:alnum:]:./_-]+$} $item_ref]} {
+        error "invalid form specification '$item_ref'"
+      }
+      #:log "trying to get $item_ref // parent_id $parent_id"
+      set page [:get_page_from_item_ref \
+                    -use_prototype_pages true \
+                    -use_package_path true \
+                    -parent_id $parent_id \
+                    $item_ref]
+      #:log "weblog form $item_ref => $page"
+      if {$page ne ""} {
+        lappend form_item_ids [$page item_id]
+      }
+    }
+    #:log "instantiate: parent_id=$parent_id-forms=$forms -> $form_item_ids"
+    return $form_item_ids
+  }
   ::xo::Package instproc get_parameter {attribute {default ""}} {
     set package_id ${:id}
     set parameter_obj [::xo::parameter get_parameter_object \