diff --git a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/interval.py b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/interval.py
index 7abfef90153..ad77930bfff 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/interval.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/interval.py
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ class Interval( Tabular ):
     """Provide the set of display formats supported by this datatype """
     supported_display_apps = ['ucsc']
 
+    """Add metadata elements"""
+    MetadataElement( name="chromCol" )
+    MetadataElement( name="startCol" )
+    MetadataElement( name="endCol" )
+    MetadataElement( name="strandCol" )
+
     def missing_meta( self, dataset ):
         """Checks for empty meta values"""
         for key, value in dataset.metadata.items():
@@ -170,11 +176,6 @@ class Bed( Interval ):
     
     def init_meta( self, dataset, copy_from=None ):
         Interval.init_meta( self, dataset, copy_from=copy_from )
-        dataset.metadata.chromCol  = 1
-        dataset.metadata.startCol  = 2
-        dataset.metadata.endCol    = 3
-        dataset.metadata.strandCol = 6
-        dataset.mark_metadata_changed()
         
     def set_meta( self, dataset ):
         """
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/metadata.py b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/metadata.py
index 6debd4c9bde..237aac033d5 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/metadata.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/metadata.py
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ from cookbook.patterns import Bunch
 STATEMENTS = "__galaxy_statements__"
 
 class Statement( object ):
+    '''
+    This class inserts its target into a list in the surrounding
+    class.  the data.Data class has a metaclass which executes these
+    statements.  This is how we shove the metadata element spec into
+    the class.
+    '''
     def __init__( self, target ):
         self.target = target
     def __call__( self, *args, **kwargs ):
@@ -18,6 +24,12 @@ class Statement( object ):
             statement.target( element, *args, **kwargs )
 
 class MetadataSpecCollection( dict ):
+    '''
+    A simple extension of dict which allows cleaner access to items
+    and allows the values to be iterated over directly as if it were a
+    list.  append() is also implemented for simplicity and does not
+    "append".
+    '''
     def append( self, item ):
         self[item.name] = item
     def iter( self ):
@@ -26,6 +38,17 @@ class MetadataSpecCollection( dict ):
         return self[name]
 
 class MetadataParameter( object ):
+    def __init__( self, metadata, context ):
+        '''
+        The "context" is simply the metadata collection/bunch holding
+        this piece of metadata.  This is passed in to allow for
+        metadata to validate against each other (note: this could turn
+        into a huge, recursive mess if not done with care).  For
+        example, a column assignment should validate against the
+        number of columns in the dataset.
+        '''
+        self.metadata = metadata
+        self.context = context
     def marshal( self, value ):
         '''
         This method should/can be overridden to convert the incomming
@@ -39,8 +62,20 @@ class MetadataParameter( object ):
         '''
         pass
 
+    def get_html_field( self, value=None, other_values={} ):
+        raise TypeError("Abstract Method")
+    
+    @classmethod
+    def build_param( cls, element, context ):
+        return element.param( element, context )
+
+
 class MetadataElementSpec( object ):
-    READONLY = 1
+    '''
+    Defines a metadata element and adds it to the metadata_spec (which
+    is a MetadataSpecCollection) of datatype.
+    '''
+
     def __init__( self, datatype, name=None, desc=None, param=MetadataParameter, attributes=None, default=None ):
         self.name = name
         self.desc = desc
@@ -53,6 +88,13 @@ class MetadataElementSpec( object ):
     def wrap( self, metadata ):
         return self.param(metadata)
 
+
+# Basic attributes for describing metadata elements
+MetadataAttributes = Bunch(
+    READONLY = 1
+    )
+    
+
 class MetadataCollection:
     """
     MetadataCollection is not a collection at all, but rather a proxy
@@ -68,20 +110,20 @@ class MetadataCollection:
     def __iter__(self):
         return self.bunch.__iter__()
     def get( self, key, default=None ):
-        if self.spec:
-            if self.spec.get(name, None):
-                default = default or self.spec[name].default
-        return self.bunch.get( key, default )
+        try:
+            return self.bunch.get( key, default ) or self.spec[key].default
+        except:
+            return default
     def items(self):
-        return self.bunch.items()
+        return iter( [(k, self.get(k)) for k in self.spec.iterkeys() ] )
     def __str__(self):
-        return self.bunch.__str__()
+        return dict( self.items() ).__str__()
     def __nonzero__(self):
         return self.bunch.__nonzero__()
     def __getattr__(self, name):
-        try:
+        if self.bunch.get( name ):
             return self.bunch.get( name )
-        except AttributeError, e:
+        else:
             if self.spec.get(name, None):
                 return self.spec[name].default
             else:
@@ -94,3 +136,5 @@ class MetadataCollection:
             self.bunch = self.parent._metadata = Bunch( **self.bunch.__dict__ )
 
 MetadataElement = Statement(MetadataElementSpec)
+
+
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/registry.py b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/registry.py
index f130e18bb9f..8ddd7a0b44b 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/registry.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/registry.py
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ class Registry( object ):
 
     def change_datatype(self, data, ext ):
         data.extension = ext
-        data.init_meta()
+        # call init_meta and copy metadata from itself.  The datatype
+        # being converted *to* will handle any metadata copying and
+        # initialization.
+        data.init_meta( copy_from=data )
         if data.has_data():
             data.set_peek()
         return data
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/tabular.py b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/tabular.py
index b218ffd824d..927912552de 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/datatypes/tabular.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/datatypes/tabular.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import data
 from galaxy import util
 from cgi import escape
 from galaxy.datatypes.metadata import MetadataElement
+from galaxy.datatypes.metadata import MetadataAttributes
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -20,6 +21,29 @@ class Tabular( data.Text ):
     """Provide the set of display formats supported by this datatype """
     supported_display_apps = []
     
+    MetadataElement( name="columns",
+                     default=0,
+                     desc="Number of columns",
+                     attributes=MetadataAttributes.READONLY )
+
+    def init_meta( self, dataset, copy_from=None ):
+        data.Text.init_meta( self, dataset, copy_from=copy_from )
+        try:
+            # This actually doesn't work at the moment.  There needs
+            # to be hooks for the file corresponding to a dataset, so
+            # that when the file is written and closed, code can be
+            # run.  That is idealy where this block would go.
+            maxcols = 0
+            count = 0
+            for line in open( dataset.file_name ):
+                count += 1
+                if count > 1000: break
+                cols = len( line.split("\t") )
+                if cols > maxcols: maxcols = cols
+            setattr( dataset.metadata, "columns", maxcols )
+        except:
+            pass
+    
     def missing_meta( self, dataset ):
         """Checks for empty meta values"""
         for key, value in dataset.metadata.items():