--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/pkg/common/attributes.go	Tue Jan 08 13:35:44 2019 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// This is Free Software under GNU Affero General Public License v >= 3.0
+// without warranty, see README.md and license for details.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+// License-Filename: LICENSES/AGPL-3.0.txt
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2018 by via donau
+//   – Österreichische Wasserstraßen-Gesellschaft mbH
+// Software engineering by Intevation GmbH
+//
+// Author(s):
+//  * Sascha L. Teichmann <sascha.teichmann@intevation.de>
+
+package common
+
+import (
+	"log"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Attributes is a map of optional key/value attributes
+// of a configuration.
+type Attributes map[string]string
+
+// Get fetches a value for given key out of the configuration.
+// If the key was not found the bool component of the return value
+// return false.
+func (ca Attributes) Get(key string) (string, bool) {
+	if ca == nil {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	value, found := ca[key]
+	return value, found
+}
+
+// Bool returns a bool value for a given key.
+func (ca Attributes) Bool(key string) bool {
+	s, found := ca.Get(key)
+	return found && strings.ToLower(s) == "true"
+}
+
+// Time gives a time.Time for a given key.
+func (ca Attributes) Time(key string) (time.Time, bool) {
+	s, found := ca.Get(key)
+	if !found {
+		return time.Time{}, false
+	}
+	t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02T15:04:05", s)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("error: %v\n", err)
+		return time.Time{}, false
+	}
+	return t, true
+}
+
+func (ca Attributes) Int(key string) (int, bool) {
+	s, found := ca.Get(key)
+	if !found {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	i, err := strconv.Atoi(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("error: %v\n", err)
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	return i, true
+}