--- a/src/js/init.js	Wed Dec 28 12:03:29 2011 +0100
+++ b/src/js/init.js	Wed Dec 28 14:41:43 2011 +0100
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@
     var arr = IriSP.jQuery.extend({}, widgetConfig);
     arr.container = container;
     arr.spacer = spacer;
+    arr.layoutManager = layoutManager;
     
     var serializer = serialFactory.getSerializer(widgetConfig.metadata);    
     

--- a/src/js/layout.js	Wed Dec 28 12:03:29 2011 +0100
+++ b/src/js/layout.js	Wed Dec 28 14:41:43 2011 +0100
@@ -49,16 +49,16 @@
 }
 
 /** create a subdiv with an unique id, and a spacer div as well.
-    @param stem stem is a string to append to the id of the widget
+    @param widgetName the name of the widget.
     @return an array of the form [createdivId, spacerdivId].
 */
-IriSP.LayoutManager.prototype.createDiv = function(stem) {
-    if (typeof(stem) === "undefined")
-       stem = "";
+IriSP.LayoutManager.prototype.createDiv = function(widgetName) {
+    if (typeof(widgetName) === "undefined")
+       widgetName = "";
 
-    var newDiv = IriSP.guid(this._div + "_widget_" + stem + "_");
+    var newDiv = IriSP.guid(this._div + "_widget_" + widgetName + "_");
     var spacerDiv = IriSP.guid("LdtPlayer_spacer_");
-    this._widgets.push(newDiv);
+    this._widgets.push([widgetName, newDiv]);    
 
     var divTempl = "<div id='{{id}}' style='width: {{width}}px; position: relative;'></div";
     var spacerTempl = "<div id='{{spacer_id}}' style='width: {{width}}px; position: relative; height: {{spacer_div_height}};'></div";
@@ -72,3 +72,54 @@
 
     return [newDiv, spacerDiv];
 };
+
+/** return a new slice    
+    @return an IriSP.LayoutManager.sliceObject
+*/
+IriSP.LayoutManager.prototype.slice = function(widget) {
+  var end = (this._widgets.length > 0) ? this._widgets.length - 1 : 0;
+  var s = new IriSP.LayoutManager.sliceObject(0, end, this)
+  return s;
+};
+
+/** sliceObjects represent a group of widget managed by a layout manager.
+    They expose convenient methods for selecting portions of widgets
+    They can be chained in this way :
+    layoutManager.slice().before("ArrowWidget").after("PolemicWidget");
+*/
+IriSP.LayoutManager.sliceObject = function(start, end, layoutManager) {
+  this.start = start;
+  this.end = end;
+  this._layoutManager = layoutManager;
+};
+
+/** returns a slice of the array corresponding to the objects after widget
+    @param widget the widget to filter with */
+IriSP.LayoutManager.sliceObject.prototype.after = function(widget) {
+  var i;
+  for(i = this.start; i < this.end; i++)
+    if (this._layoutManager._widgets[i][0] === widget)
+      break;
+      
+  this.start = i;
+  console.log(this.start);
+  return this;
+}
+
+/** returns a slice of the array corresponding to the objects before widget
+    @param widget the widget to filter with */
+IriSP.LayoutManager.sliceObject.prototype.before = function(widget) {
+  var i;
+  for(i = this.start; i < this.end; i++)
+    if (this._layoutManager._widgets[i][0] === widget)
+      break;
+      
+  this.end = i;
+  
+  return this;
+}
+
+/** return a jquery selector corresponding to the defined slice */
+IriSP.LayoutManager.sliceObject.prototype.jQuerySelector = function() {
+  return this._layoutManager.selector.children("").slice(this.start, this.end);  
+};
\ No newline at end of file

--- a/src/js/widgets.js	Wed Dec 28 12:03:29 2011 +0100
+++ b/src/js/widgets.js	Wed Dec 28 14:41:43 2011 +0100
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@
 
   if (config.hasOwnProperty("widthmax")) {
      this.widthmax = config.widthmax;     
+  } 
+
+  if (config.hasOwnProperty("layoutManager")) {
+     this.layoutManager = config.layoutManager;     
   }
   
 };