diff --git a/lib/javascript-static.js b/lib/javascript-static.js
index e356e3945af..7d151f8425a 100644
--- a/lib/javascript-static.js
+++ b/lib/javascript-static.js
@@ -646,6 +646,72 @@ M.util.init_block_hider = function(Y, config) {
     });
 };
 
+/**
+ * Returns a string registered in advance for usage in JavaScript
+ *
+ * If you do not pass the third parameter, the function will just return
+ * the corresponding value from the M.str object. If the third parameter is
+ * provided, the function performs {$a} placeholder substitution in the
+ * same way as PHP get_string() in Moodle does.
+ *
+ * @param {String} identifier string identifier
+ * @param {String} component the component providing the string
+ * @param {Object|String} a optional variable to populate placeholder with
+ */
+M.util.get_string = function(identifier, component, a) {
+    var stringvalue;
+
+    if (M.cfg.developerdebug) {
+        // creating new instance if YUI is not optimal but it seems to be better way then
+        // require the instance via the function API - note that it is used in rare cases
+        // for debugging only anyway
+        var Y = new YUI({ debug : true });
+    }
+
+    if (!M.str.hasOwnProperty(component) || !M.str[component].hasOwnProperty(identifier)) {
+        stringvalue = '[[' + identifier + ',' + component + ']]';
+        if (M.cfg.developerdebug) {
+            Y.log('undefined string ' + stringvalue, 'warn', 'M.util.get_string');
+        }
+        return stringvalue;
+    }
+
+    stringvalue = M.str[component][identifier];
+
+    if (typeof a == 'undefined') {
+        // no placeholder substitution requested
+        return stringvalue;
+    }
+
+    if (typeof a == 'number' || typeof a == 'string') {
+        // replace all occurrences of {$a} with the placeholder value
+        stringvalue = stringvalue.replace(/\{\$a\}/g, a);
+        return stringvalue;
+    }
+
+    if (typeof a == 'object') {
+        // replace {$a->key} placeholders
+        for (var key in a) {
+            if (typeof a[key] != 'number' && typeof a[key] != 'string') {
+                if (M.cfg.developerdebug) {
+                    Y.log('invalid value type for $a->' + key, 'warn', 'M.util.get_string');
+                }
+                continue;
+            }
+            var search = '{$a->' + key + '}';
+            search = search.replace(/[-[\]{}()*+?.,\\^$|#\s]/g, '\\$&');
+            search = new RegExp(search, 'g');
+            stringvalue = stringvalue.replace(search, a[key]);
+        }
+        return stringvalue;
+    }
+
+    if (M.cfg.developerdebug) {
+        Y.log('incorrect placeholder type', 'warn', 'M.util.get_string');
+    }
+    return stringvalue;
+};
+
 //=== old legacy JS code, hopefully to be replaced soon by M.xx.yy and YUI3 code ===
 
 function popupchecker(msg) {
diff --git a/version.php b/version.php
index 80845cc8f19..19efacd5f0d 100644
--- a/version.php
+++ b/version.php
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
-$version = 2010110200;  // YYYYMMDD   = date of the last version bump
+$version = 2010110201;  // YYYYMMDD   = date of the last version bump
                         //         XX = daily increments
 
 $release = '2.0 RC1 (Build: 20101102)';  // Human-friendly version name