diff --git a/app/helpers/main_helper.rb b/app/helpers/main_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/helpers/main_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+module MainHelper
+
+  def user_options
+    options = ''
+    user = User.find(session[:user_id])
+    if user.admin? 
+      options = options + ' ' +
+	link_to('[Problem admin]', 
+		{:controller => 'problems', :action => 'index'})
+      options = options + ' ' +
+	link_to('[User admin]',
+		{:controller => 'user_admin', :action => 'index'})
+    end
+    options = options + ' ' +
+      link_to('[Log out]', {:controller => 'main', :action => 'login'})
+    options
+  end
+
+  def format_short_time(time)
+    now = Time.now
+    st = ''
+    if (time.yday != now.yday) or
+	(time.year != now.year)
+      st = time.strftime("%x")
+    end
+    st + time.strftime("%X")
+  end
+
+  def format_compiler_msg(sub)
+    <<cmpmsg
+<div>
+<div><a href="#" onClick="n = this.parentNode.parentNode.lastChild;
+if(n.style.display == 'none') { n.style.display = 'block'; }
+else {n.style.display ='none'; } return false;">
+Compiler message</a> (click to see)</div>
+<div style="display: none">
+<div class="compilermsgbody" style="border: thin solid grey; margin: 2px">
+#{h(sub.compiler_message).gsub(/\n/,'<br/>')}
+</div>
+</div></div>
+cmpmsg
+  end
+
+  def format_submission(sub, count)
+    msg = "#{count} submission(s)<br />"
+    if count>0
+      msg = msg + "Last on " +
+	format_short_time(sub.submitted_at) + ' ' +
+	link_to('[source]',{:action => 'get_source', :id => sub.id}) +
+	"<br />"
+    end
+    if sub!=nil and sub.graded_at!=nil
+      msg = msg + 'Graded at ' + format_short_time(sub.graded_at) + ', score: '+ 
+        sub.points.to_s + 
+	' [' + sub.grader_comment + "]<br />" +
+	format_compiler_msg(sub)
+    end
+    msg 
+  end
+
+end