diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.csproj b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.csproj
index aa25d6c66c..92d4f392da 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.csproj
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.csproj
@@ -117,12 +117,14 @@
     <Compile Include="Project\Designer\RootDesigner\ReportRootDesigner.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Project\Designer\ShapeDesigner.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Project\Designer\TableDesigner.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Project\Dialogs\DataTypeStringConverter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Project\Dialogs\ExpressionEditor.cs">
       <SubType>Form</SubType>
     </Compile>
     <Compile Include="Project\Dialogs\ExpressionEditor.Designer.cs">
       <DependentUpon>ExpressionEditor.cs</DependentUpon>
     </Compile>
+    <Compile Include="Project\Dialogs\StringConverter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Project\Globals\FormsDesignerLoadException.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Project\Globals\GlobalsDesigner.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Project\Globals\StringWriterWithEncoding.cs" />
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/Dialogs/DataTypeStringConverter.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/Dialogs/DataTypeStringConverter.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e3a8da0a59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/Dialogs/DataTypeStringConverter.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * Created by SharpDevelop.
+ * User: Peter Forstmeier
+ * Date: 22.09.2010
+ * Time: 19:23
+ * 
+ * To change this template use Tools | Options | Coding | Edit Standard Headers.
+ */
+using System;
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using ICSharpCode.Reports.Core;
+
+
+namespace ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.Dialogs
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Description of DataTypeStringConverter.
+	/// </summary>
+	public class DataTypeStringConverter:StringConverter
+	{
+		public override bool GetStandardValuesSupported(ITypeDescriptorContext
+		                                                context)
+		{
+			//true means show a combobox
+			return true;
+		}
+		
+		
+		public override bool GetStandardValuesExclusive(ITypeDescriptorContext
+		                                                context)
+		{
+			//true will limit to list. false will show the list, but allow free-form entry
+				return true;
+		}
+
+		
+		public override TypeConverter.StandardValuesCollection GetStandardValues(ITypeDescriptorContext context)
+		{
+			return new StandardValuesCollection(GlobalLists.DataTypeList());
+			
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/Dialogs/StringConverter.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/Dialogs/StringConverter.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f4d41faf3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/Dialogs/StringConverter.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Created by SharpDevelop.
+ * User: Peter Forstmeier
+ * Date: 22.09.2010
+ * Time: 19:12
+ * 
+ * To change this template use Tools | Options | Coding | Edit Standard Headers.
+ */
+using System;
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using ICSharpCode.Reports.Core;
+
+
+namespace ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.Dialogs
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Description of StringConverter.
+	/// </summary>
+	public class FormatStringConverter:StringConverter
+	{
+		
+		
+		public override bool GetStandardValuesSupported(ITypeDescriptorContext
+		                                                context)
+		{
+			//true means show a combobox
+			return true;
+		}
+		
+		
+		public override bool GetStandardValuesExclusive(ITypeDescriptorContext
+		                                                context)
+		{
+			//true will limit to list. false will show the list, but allow free-form entry
+				return true;
+		}
+
+		
+		public override TypeConverter.StandardValuesCollection GetStandardValues(ITypeDescriptorContext context)
+		{
+//			return new StandardValuesCollection(
+//				new string[] { "entry1", "entry2", "entry3" });
+			return new StandardValuesCollection(GlobalLists.Formats());
+			
+		}
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/ReportItems/BaseTextItem.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/ReportItems/BaseTextItem.cs
index 75ea6996e5..16b49d1693 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/ReportItems/BaseTextItem.cs
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin/Project/ReportItems/BaseTextItem.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ using System.Drawing;
 using ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.Designer;
 using ICSharpCode.Reports.Core;
 using ICSharpCode.Reports.Core.BaseClasses.Printing;
+using ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin.Dialogs;
 
 namespace ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin
 {
@@ -90,6 +91,11 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin
 		[Browsable(true),
 		 Category("Appearance"),
 		 Description("String to format Number's Date's etc")]
+		
+		[DefaultValue("entry1")]
+
+[TypeConverter(typeof(FormatStringConverter))]
+
 		public string FormatString {
 			get { return formatString; }
 			set {
@@ -136,6 +142,11 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.Reports.Addin
 		 Category("Databinding"),
 		 Description("Datatype of the underlying Column")]
 		
+		
+		[DefaultValue("System.String")]
+		
+		[TypeConverter(typeof(DataTypeStringConverter))]
+
 		public string DataType {get;set;}
 		
 		
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Core/Project/Globals/GlobalLists.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Core/Project/Globals/GlobalLists.cs
index 3929a322b8..06eddbec7f 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Core/Project/Globals/GlobalLists.cs
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Reports/ICSharpCode.Reports.Core/Project/Globals/GlobalLists.cs
@@ -59,6 +59,20 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.Reports.Core
 		
 		#endregion
 		
+		#region DataTypes
+		public static string[] DataTypeList ()
+		{
+			return (string[])MyDataTypeList.Clone();
+		}
+		
+		
+		private static readonly string[] MyDataTypeList = new string[] {
+			"System.String",
+			"System.DateTime",
+			"System.Decimal",
+			"System.Int"};
+		#endregion
+		
 		#region Aggregates
 		
 		public static string[] AggregateFunctions ()