diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.cpp
index b001586b5..0de192eb5 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 
 #include "category.hpp"
 
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+#include "setting.hpp"
+
 CSMPrefs::Category::Category (State *parent, const std::string& key)
 : mParent (parent), mKey (key)
 {}
@@ -29,3 +33,12 @@ CSMPrefs::Category::Iterator CSMPrefs::Category::end()
 {
     return mSettings.end();
 }
+
+CSMPrefs::Setting& CSMPrefs::Category::operator[] (const std::string& key)
+{
+    for (Iterator iter = mSettings.begin(); iter!=mSettings.end(); ++iter)
+        if ((*iter)->getKey()==key)
+            return **iter;
+
+    throw std::logic_error ("Invalid user setting: " + key);
+}
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.hpp
index 0b8e45d56..7231fddea 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/category.hpp
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ namespace CSMPrefs
             Iterator begin();
 
             Iterator end();
+
+            Setting& operator[] (const std::string& key);
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.cpp
index b23152d17..39d997988 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 
 #include "setting.hpp"
 
+#include <QColor>
+
 #include "category.hpp"
 #include "state.hpp"
 
@@ -35,3 +37,49 @@ const std::string& CSMPrefs::Setting::getLabel() const
 {
     return mLabel;
 }
+
+int CSMPrefs::Setting::toInt() const
+{
+    return mValues->getInt (mKey, mParent->getKey());
+}
+
+double CSMPrefs::Setting::toDouble() const
+{
+    return mValues->getFloat (mKey, mParent->getKey());
+}
+
+std::string CSMPrefs::Setting::toString() const
+{
+    return mValues->getString (mKey, mParent->getKey());
+}
+
+bool CSMPrefs::Setting::isTrue() const
+{
+    return mValues->getBool (mKey, mParent->getKey());
+}
+
+QColor CSMPrefs::Setting::toColor() const
+{
+    return QColor (QString::fromUtf8 (toString().c_str()));
+}
+
+bool CSMPrefs::operator== (const Setting& setting, const std::string& key)
+{
+    std::string fullKey = setting.getParent()->getKey() + "/" + setting.getKey();
+    return fullKey==key;
+}
+
+bool CSMPrefs::operator== (const std::string& key, const Setting& setting)
+{
+    return setting==key;
+}
+
+bool CSMPrefs::operator!= (const Setting& setting, const std::string& key)
+{
+    return !(setting==key);
+}
+
+bool CSMPrefs::operator!= (const std::string& key, const Setting& setting)
+{
+    return !(key==setting);
+}
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.hpp
index e970352f4..65354469d 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/setting.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <QObject>
 
 class QWidget;
+class QColor;
 
 namespace Settings
 {
@@ -47,7 +48,23 @@ namespace CSMPrefs
             const std::string& getKey() const;
 
             const std::string& getLabel() const;
+
+            int toInt() const;
+
+            double toDouble() const;
+
+            std::string toString() const;
+
+            bool isTrue() const;
+
+            QColor toColor() const;
     };
+
+    // note: fullKeys have the format categoryKey/settingKey
+    bool operator== (const Setting& setting, const std::string& fullKey);
+    bool operator== (const std::string& fullKey, const Setting& setting);
+    bool operator!= (const Setting& setting, const std::string& fullKey);
+    bool operator!= (const std::string& fullKey, const Setting& setting);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.cpp
index 02ab1ca49..c31c2db5a 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.cpp
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ CSMPrefs::State::Iterator CSMPrefs::State::end()
     return mCategories.end();
 }
 
-CSMPrefs::Category& CSMPrefs::State::getCategory (const std::string& key)
+CSMPrefs::Category& CSMPrefs::State::operator[] (const std::string& key)
 {
     Iterator iter = mCategories.find (key);
 
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.hpp
index f5376a7da..2b99eec05 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/prefs/state.hpp
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ namespace CSMPrefs
 
             Iterator end();
 
-            Category& getCategory (const std::string& key);
+            Category& operator[](const std::string& key);
 
             void update (const Setting& setting);
 
diff --git a/apps/opencs/view/prefs/dialogue.cpp b/apps/opencs/view/prefs/dialogue.cpp
index 6135afde7..97a36306f 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/view/prefs/dialogue.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/view/prefs/dialogue.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ CSVPrefs::PageBase *CSVPrefs::Dialogue::makePage (const std::string& key)
 {
     // special case page code goes here
 
-    return new Page (CSMPrefs::get().getCategory (key), mContent);
+    return new Page (CSMPrefs::get()[key], mContent);
 }
 
 CSVPrefs::Dialogue::Dialogue()