diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/swing/Controller.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/swing/Controller.java
index 0a5a0588..c0cde96a 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/swing/Controller.java
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/swing/Controller.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Controller.java,v 1.10 2002/03/16 20:52:07 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Controller.java,v 1.11 2002/03/21 00:53:38 mdb Exp $
 //
 // samskivert library - useful routines for java programs
 // Copyright (C) 2001 Michael Bayne
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import java.awt.EventQueue;
 import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
 import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
 import javax.swing.JPanel;
 import javax.swing.event.AncestorEvent;
 
@@ -144,12 +146,113 @@ public abstract class Controller
      * separate thread, for example via {@link
      * com.samskivert.swing.util.TaskMaster}.
      *
+     * <p> The default implementation of this method will reflect on the
+     * controller class, looking for a method that matches the name of the
+     * action event. A handler method must provide one of three
+     * signatures: one accepting no arguments, one including only a
+     * reference to the source object, or one including the source object
+     * and an extra argument (which can be used only if the action event
+     * is an instance of {@link CommandEvent}. For example:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * public void handleCancelClicked (Object source);
+     * public void handleTextEntered (Object source, String text);
+     * </pre>
+     *
+     * The arguments to the method can be as specific or as generic as
+     * desired and reflection will perform the appropriate conversions at
+     * runtime. For example, a method could be declared like so:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * public void handleCancelClicked (JButton source);
+     * </pre>
+     *
+     * One would have to ensure that the only action events generated with
+     * the action command string "Cancel" were generated by
+     * <code>JButton</code> instances if such a signature were used.
+     *
      * @param action The action to be processed.
      *
      * @return true if the action was processed, false if it should be
      * propagated up to the next controller in scope.
      */
-    public abstract boolean handleAction (ActionEvent action);
+    public boolean handleAction (ActionEvent action)
+    {
+        Method method = null;
+        Object[] args = null;
+
+        try {
+            // look for the appropriate method
+            String targetName = "handle" + action.getActionCommand();
+            Method[] methods = getClass().getMethods();
+            int mcount = methods.length;
+
+            for (int i = 0; i < mcount; i++) {
+                if (methods[i].getName().equals(targetName)) {
+                    // see if we can generate the appropriate arguments
+                    args = generateArguments(methods[i], action);
+                    // if we were able to, go ahead and use this method
+                    if (args != null) {
+                        method = methods[i];
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.warning("Error searching for action handler method " +
+                        "[controller=" + this + ", event=" + action + "].");
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            if (method != null) {
+                method.invoke(this, args);
+                return true;
+
+            } else {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.warning("Error invoking action handler [controller=" + this +
+                        ", event=" + action + "].");
+            // even though we choked, we still "handled" the action
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Used by {@link #handleAction} to generate arguments to the action
+     * handler method.
+     */
+    protected Object[] generateArguments (Method method, ActionEvent action)
+    {
+        // figure out what sort of arguments are required by the method
+        Class[] atypes = method.getParameterTypes();
+
+        if (atypes == null || atypes.length == 0) {
+            return new Object[0];
+
+        } else if (atypes.length == 1) {
+            return new Object[] { action.getSource() };
+
+        } else if (atypes.length == 2) {
+            if (action instanceof CommandEvent) {
+                CommandEvent command = (CommandEvent)action;
+                return new Object[] { action.getSource(),
+                                      command.getArgument() };
+            }
+
+            Log.warning("Unable to map non-command event to " +
+                        "handler method that requires extra " +
+                        "argument [controller=" + this +
+                        ", action=" + action + "].");
+        }
+
+        // we would have handled it, but we couldn't
+        return null;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Posts the specified action to the nearest controller in scope. The