Index: openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/xowiki-portlet-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/Attic/xowiki-portlet-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.106 -r1.107
--- openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/xowiki-portlet-procs.tcl	6 Nov 2007 13:06:36 -0000	1.106
+++ openacs-4/packages/xowiki/tcl/xowiki-portlet-procs.tcl	8 Nov 2007 08:56:56 -0000	1.107
@@ -326,17 +326,30 @@
       -parameter {
         {__decoration none}
         {parameter_declaration {
-          {-variable:required }
+          {-variable}
+          {-form_variable}
           {-source ""}
         }}
       } -instproc render {} {
         my get_parameters
+        if {![info exists variable] && ![info exists form_variable]} {
+          return "either -variable or -form_variable must be specified"
+        }
         set page [my require_page $source]
-        if {[$page exists $variable]} {
+
+        if {[info exists variable] && [$page exists $variable]} {
           return [$page set $variable]
-        } else {
-          return "no such variable $variable in page [$page set name]"
+        } 
+        if {[info exists form_variable] && [$page exists instance_attributes]} {
+          array set __ia [$page set instance_attributes]
+          if {[info exists __ia($form_variable)]} {
+            return $__ia($form_variable)
+          }
         }
+        if {[info exists variable]} {
+          return "no such variable $variable defined in page [$page set name]"
+        }
+        return "no such form_variable $form_variable defined in page [$page set name]"
       }
  
   ::xowiki::PortletClass create creation-date \