Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/authoring/service/AuthoringService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rb3dbc137e110d79b6aae154a808b7ca6e7de403d -r49de4737694691f60400ecd00745eaa646bcd724
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/authoring/service/AuthoringService.java	(.../AuthoringService.java)	(revision b3dbc137e110d79b6aae154a808b7ca6e7de403d)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/authoring/service/AuthoringService.java	(.../AuthoringService.java)	(revision 49de4737694691f60400ecd00745eaa646bcd724)
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.themes.dto.CSSThemeBriefDTO;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.themes.dto.CSSThemeDTO;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.dao.hibernate.ToolDAO;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.ToolContentIDGenerator;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.Tool;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.usermanagement.User;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.usermanagement.WorkspaceFolder;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.usermanagement.dao.hibernate.UserDAO;
@@ -99,6 +101,8 @@
 	protected GroupDAO groupDAO;
 	protected ICSSThemeDAO themeDAO;
 	
+	protected ToolContentIDGenerator contentIDGenerator;
+	
 	public AuthoringService(){
 		
 	}
@@ -180,6 +184,15 @@
     public void setThemeDAO(ICSSThemeDAO themeDAO) {
         this.themeDAO = themeDAO;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * @param contentIDGenerator The contentIDGenerator to set.
+     */
+    public void setContentIDGenerator(ToolContentIDGenerator contentIDGenerator)
+    {
+        this.contentIDGenerator = contentIDGenerator;
+    }
+    
 	/**
 	 * @see org.lamsfoundation.lams.authoring.service.IAuthoringService#getLearningDesign(java.lang.Long)
 	 */
@@ -634,4 +647,22 @@
 	}
 	
 	
+	/** @see org.lamsfoundation.lams.authoring.service.IAuthoringService#getToolContentID(java.lang.Long) */
+
+	public String getToolContentID(Long toolID) throws IOException
+	{
+	   Tool tool = toolDAO.getToolByID(toolID);
+	   if (tool == null)
+	   {
+	       log.error("The toolID "+ toolID + " is not valid. A Tool with tool id " + toolID + " does not exist on the database.");
+	       return FlashMessage.getNoSuchTool("getToolContentID", toolID).serializeMessage();
+	   }
+	   
+	   Long newContentID = contentIDGenerator.getNextToolContentIDFor(tool);
+	   flashMessage = new FlashMessage("getToolContentID", newContentID);
+	   
+	   return flashMessage.serializeMessage();
+	}
+	
+	
 }
\ No newline at end of file
Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/authoring/web/AuthoringAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r8628fad036956ba43219abfd392f4913069c3dd8 -r49de4737694691f60400ecd00745eaa646bcd724
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/authoring/web/AuthoringAction.java	(.../AuthoringAction.java)	(revision 8628fad036956ba43219abfd392f4913069c3dd8)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/authoring/web/AuthoringAction.java	(.../AuthoringAction.java)	(revision 49de4737694691f60400ecd00745eaa646bcd724)
@@ -188,5 +188,17 @@
 	    return outputPacket(mapping, request, response, message, "message");
 	}
 	
+	public ActionForward getToolContentID(ActionMapping mapping,
+			ActionForm form,
+			HttpServletRequest request,
+			HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException, ServletException {
+	 
+	    Long toolID = new Long(WebUtil.readLongParam(request,"toolID"));
+	    IAuthoringService authoringService = getAuthoringService();
+	    String message = authoringService.getToolContentID(toolID);
+	    return outputPacket(mapping, request, response, message, "details");   
+	    
+	}
+	
 
 }