diff --git a/src/app/qgsmessagebar.cpp b/src/app/qgsmessagebar.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+                          qgsmessagebar.cpp  -  description
+                             -------------------
+    begin                : June 2012
+    copyright            : (C) 2012 by Giuseppe Sucameli
+    email                : sucameli at faunalia dot it
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+/***************************************************************************
+ *                                                                         *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  *
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  *
+ *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or     *
+ *   (at your option) any later version.                                   *
+ *                                                                         *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+#include "qgsmessagebar.h"
+#include "qgsapplication.h"
+
+#include <QWidget>
+#include <QPalette>
+#include <QStackedWidget>
+#include <QLabel>
+#include <QToolButton>
+#include <QGridLayout>
+
+
+QgsMessageBar::QgsMessageBar( QWidget *parent )
+    : QFrame( parent ), mCurrentItem ( NULL )
+{
+  QPalette pal = palette();
+  pal.setBrush( backgroundRole(), pal.window() );
+  setPalette( pal );
+  setAutoFillBackground( true );
+  setFrameShape( QFrame::StyledPanel );
+  setFrameShadow( QFrame::Plain );
+
+  mLayout = new QGridLayout( this );
+  mLayout->setContentsMargins( 9, 1, 9, 1 );
+  setLayout( mLayout );
+
+  mLayout->addItem( new QSpacerItem( 20, 20, QSizePolicy::Expanding ), 0, 1, 1, 1 );
+
+  mCloseBtn = new QToolButton( this );
+  mCloseBtn->setText( tr( "Close" ) );
+  mCloseBtn->setIcon( QgsApplication::getThemeIcon( "mIconClose.png" ) );
+  connect( mCloseBtn, SIGNAL( clicked() ), this, SLOT( popWidget() ) );
+  mLayout->addWidget( mCloseBtn, 0, 2, 1, 1 );
+
+  // start hidden
+  setVisible( false );
+}
+
+QgsMessageBar::~QgsMessageBar()
+{
+}
+
+void QgsMessageBar::popItem( QgsMessageBarItem *item )
+{
+  Q_ASSERT( item );
+
+  if ( item != mCurrentItem && !mList.contains( item ) )
+    return;
+
+  if ( item == mCurrentItem )
+   {
+     if ( mCurrentItem )
+     {
+       mLayout->removeWidget( mCurrentItem->widget() );
+       mCurrentItem->widget()->hide();
+       mCurrentItem = 0;
+     }
+
+     if ( !mList.isEmpty() )
+     {
+       pushItem( mList.first() );
+     }
+     else
+     {
+       hide();
+     }
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    mList.removeOne( item );
+  }
+
+  emit widgetRemoved( item->widget() );
+}
+
+bool QgsMessageBar::popWidget( QWidget *widget )
+{
+  if ( !widget || !mCurrentItem )
+    return false;
+
+  if ( widget == mCurrentItem->widget() )
+  {
+    popItem( mCurrentItem );
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  foreach( QgsMessageBarItem *item, mList )
+  {
+    if ( item->widget() == widget )
+    {
+      mList.removeOne( item );
+      delete item;
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+bool QgsMessageBar::popWidget()
+{
+  if ( !mCurrentItem )
+    return false;
+
+  QgsMessageBarItem *item = mCurrentItem;
+  popItem( item );
+  delete item;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+void QgsMessageBar::pushItem( QgsMessageBarItem *item )
+{
+  Q_ASSERT( item );
+
+  if ( item == mCurrentItem )
+    return;
+
+  if ( mList.contains( item ) )
+    mList.removeOne( item );
+
+  if ( mCurrentItem )
+  {
+    mList.prepend( mCurrentItem );
+    mLayout->removeWidget( mCurrentItem->widget() );
+    mCurrentItem->widget()->hide();
+  }
+
+  mCurrentItem = item;
+  mLayout->addWidget( item->widget(), 0, 0, 1, 1 );
+  mCurrentItem->widget()->show();
+
+  setStyleSheet( item->styleSheet() );
+  show();
+}
+
+void QgsMessageBar::pushWidget( QWidget *widget, int level )
+{
+  QString stylesheet;
+  if ( level >= 2 )
+  {
+    stylesheet = "QgsMessageBar { background-color: #d65253; border: 1px solid #9b3d3d; } QLabel { color: white; }";
+  }
+  else if ( level == 1 )
+  {
+    stylesheet = "QgsMessageBar { background-color: #ffc800; border: 1px solid #e0aa00; } QLabel { color: black; }";
+  }
+  else if ( level == 0 )
+  {
+    stylesheet = "QgsMessageBar { background-color: #e7f5fe; border: 1px solid #b9cfe4; } QLabel { color: #2554a1; }";
+  }
+  pushWidget( widget, stylesheet );
+}
+
+void QgsMessageBar::pushWidget( QWidget *widget, const QString &styleSheet )
+{
+  if ( !widget )
+    return;
+
+  // avoid duplicated widget
+  popWidget( widget );
+
+  pushItem( new QgsMessageBarItem( widget, styleSheet ) );
+}
+
+QWidget* QgsMessageBar::createMessage( const QString &title, const QString &text, const QIcon &icon, QWidget *parent )
+{
+  QWidget *widget = new QWidget( parent );
+
+  QHBoxLayout *layout = new QHBoxLayout( widget );
+  layout->setContentsMargins( 0, 0, 0, 0 );
+
+  if ( !icon.isNull() )
+  {
+    QLabel *lblIcon = new QLabel( widget );
+    lblIcon->setPixmap( icon.pixmap( 24 ) );
+    layout->addWidget( lblIcon );
+  }
+
+  if ( !title.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    QLabel *lblTitle = new QLabel( title, widget );
+    QFont font = lblTitle->font();
+    font.setBold( true );
+    lblTitle->setFont( font );
+    layout->addWidget( lblTitle );
+  }
+
+  QLabel *lblText = new QLabel( text, widget );
+  layout->addWidget( lblText );
+
+  return widget;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/qgsmessagebar.h b/src/app/qgsmessagebar.h
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+                          qgsmessagebar.h  -  description
+                             -------------------
+    begin                : June 2012
+    copyright            : (C) 2012 by Giuseppe Sucameli
+    email                : sucameli at faunalia dot it
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+/***************************************************************************
+ *                                                                         *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  *
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  *
+ *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or     *
+ *   (at your option) any later version.                                   *
+ *                                                                         *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+#ifndef QGSMESSAGEBAR_H
+#define QGSMESSAGEBAR_H
+
+#include <qgisgui.h>
+
+#include <QString>
+#include <QFrame>
+#include <QIcon>
+#include <QColor>
+#include <QList>
+
+class QWidget;
+class QGridLayout;
+class QToolButton;
+
+/** \ingroup gui
+ * A bar for displaying non-blocking messages to the user.
+ * \note added in 1.8
+ */
+class QgsMessageBar: public QFrame
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+  public:
+    QgsMessageBar( QWidget *parent = 0 );
+    ~QgsMessageBar();
+
+    void pushWidget( QWidget *widget, int level = 0 );
+    void pushWidget( QWidget *widget, const QString &styleSheet );
+
+    bool popWidget( QWidget *widget );
+
+    static QWidget* createMessage( const QString &text, QWidget *parent = 0 ) { return createMessage( QString::null, text, QIcon(), parent ); }
+    static QWidget* createMessage( const QString &text, const QIcon &icon, QWidget *parent = 0 ) { return createMessage( QString::null, text, icon, parent ); }
+    static QWidget* createMessage( const QString &title, const QString &text, QWidget *parent = 0 ) { return createMessage( title, text, QIcon(), parent ); }
+    static QWidget* createMessage( const QString &title, const QString &text, const QIcon &icon, QWidget *parent = 0 );
+
+  signals:
+    void widgetRemoved( QWidget *widget );
+
+  public slots:
+    bool popWidget();
+
+  private:
+    class QgsMessageBarItem
+    {
+      public:
+        QgsMessageBarItem( QWidget *widget, const QString &styleSheet ):
+            mWidget( widget ), mStyleSheet( styleSheet ) {}
+        ~QgsMessageBarItem() {}
+
+        QWidget* widget() const { return mWidget; }
+        QString styleSheet() const { return mStyleSheet; }
+
+      private:
+        QWidget *mWidget;
+        QString mStyleSheet;
+    };
+
+    void popItem( QgsMessageBarItem *item );
+    void pushItem( QgsMessageBarItem *item );
+
+    QgsMessageBarItem *mCurrentItem;
+    QList<QgsMessageBarItem *> mList;
+    QToolButton *mCloseBtn;
+    QGridLayout *mLayout;
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.cpp b/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.cpp
@@ -311,6 +311,18 @@ QgsProjectProperties::QgsProjectProperties( QgsMapCanvas* mapCanvas, QWidget *pa
   mStyle = QgsStyleV2::defaultStyle();
   populateStyles();
 
+  // Project macros
+  QString pythonMacros = QgsProject::instance()->readEntry( "Macros", "/pythonCode", QString::null );
+  grpPythonMacros->setChecked( !pythonMacros.isEmpty() );
+  if ( !pythonMacros.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    ptePythonMacros->setPlainText( pythonMacros );
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    resetPythonMacros();
+  }
+
   restoreState();
 }
 
@@ -565,6 +577,19 @@ void QgsProjectProperties::apply()
   QgsProject::instance()->writeEntry( "DefaultStyles", "/AlphaInt", 255 - mTransparencySlider->value() );
   QgsProject::instance()->writeEntry( "DefaultStyles", "/RandomColors", cbxStyleRandomColors->isChecked() );
 
+  // store project macros
+  QString pythonMacros;
+  if ( grpPythonMacros->isChecked() )
+  {
+    pythonMacros = ptePythonMacros->toPlainText();
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    pythonMacros = QString::null;
+    resetPythonMacros();
+  }
+  QgsProject::instance()->writeEntry( "Macros", "/pythonCode", pythonMacros );
+
   //todo XXX set canvas color
   emit refresh();
 }
@@ -947,4 +972,10 @@ void QgsProjectProperties::editSymbol( QComboBox* cbo )
   cbo->setItemIcon( cbo->currentIndex(), icon );
 }
 
-
+void QgsProjectProperties::resetPythonMacros()
+{
+  grpPythonMacros->setChecked( false );
+  ptePythonMacros->setPlainText( "def openProject():\n  pass\n\n" \
+                                 "def saveProject():\n  pass\n\n" \
+                                 "def closeProject():\n  pass\n" );
+}
diff --git a/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.h b/src/app/qgsprojectproperties.h
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ class QgsProjectProperties : public QDialog, private Ui::QgsProjectPropertiesBas
      */
     void restoreState();
 
+    /*!
+     * Reset the python macros
+     */
+    void resetPythonMacros();
+
     long mProjectSrsId;
     long mLayerSrsId;
 };
diff --git a/src/ui/qgsprojectpropertiesbase.ui b/src/ui/qgsprojectpropertiesbase.ui
@@ -783,8 +783,8 @@
            <rect>
             <x>0</x>
             <y>0</y>
-            <width>583</width>
-            <height>671</height>
+            <width>670</width>
+            <height>812</height>
            </rect>
           </property>
           <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
@@ -1109,6 +1109,38 @@
        </item>
       </layout>
      </widget>
+     <widget class="QWidget" name="tab_2">
+      <attribute name="title">
+       <string>Macros</string>
+      </attribute>
+      <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_11">
+       <item row="0" column="0">
+        <widget class="QGroupBox" name="grpPythonMacros">
+         <property name="title">
+          <string>Python macros</string>
+         </property>
+         <property name="checkable">
+          <bool>true</bool>
+         </property>
+         <property name="checked">
+          <bool>false</bool>
+         </property>
+         <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_2">
+          <item>
+           <widget class="QPlainTextEdit" name="ptePythonMacros">
+            <property name="documentTitle">
+             <string notr="true"/>
+            </property>
+            <property name="plainText">
+             <string/>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
+         </layout>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
+      </layout>
+     </widget>
     </widget>
    </item>
   </layout>