diff --git a/dataobj/tabfile.cc b/dataobj/tabfile.cc
index 828955297..77479c9d6 100644
--- a/dataobj/tabfile.cc
+++ b/dataobj/tabfile.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ bool tabfile_t::open(const char *filename)
 	close();
 	file = dr_fopen(filename, "r");
 	current_line_number = 0;
+	replacements.assign(10,"");
 	return file != NULL;
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ void tabfile_t::close()
 		fclose(file);
 		file  = NULL;
 	}
+	sublines.clear();
+	replacements.clear();
 }
 
 
@@ -291,181 +294,371 @@ void tabfileobj_t::unused( const char *exclude_start_chars )
 }
 
 
+void tabfile_t::replace( char *line )
+{
+	// looks at each char in the line. 
+	for(char *s = line; *s; s++) {
+		if( !(*s == '<') ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		char *t = s; // s stays at '<' while t looks ahead 
+		t++;
+		if( !(*t == '?') ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		t++;
+		if(!*t) {
+			dbg->warning("tabfile_t::replace", "Line ends in incomplete '<?'. Replacement not possible. \"%s\"", line);
+			continue;
+		}
+		char x = *t;
+		if(  !(  x == '>'  ||  (  x >= '0'  &&  x <= '9'  )  )  ) {
+			dbg->warning("tabfile_t::replace", "Found '<?n' with n not in [0-9;>]. Replacement not possible. \"%s\"", line);
+			continue;
+		}
+		//allow <?> to act as <?0>
+		if (x == '>') {
+			x = '0';
+		}
+		else {
+			t++;
+			if( !(*t == '>') ){
+				dbg->warning("tabfile_t::replace", "Found '<?n' without closing '>'. Replacement not possible. \"%s\"", line);
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+				
+		// temporary store part of line AFTER <?n>, copy replacement in line, copy temp in line, end with '\0'
+		char temp[strlen(t)];
+		t++;
+		strcpy(temp, t);
+		t = s;
+		for( char *u = replacements[x-'0']; *u; u++){
+			*t = *u;
+			t++;
+		}
+		for( char *u = temp; *u; u++){
+			*t = *u;
+			t++;
+		}
+		*t = '\0';
+		s--; // ensures the same position is read again, since replacement might have been empty.
+	}
+}
+
+
+int tabfile_t::directive( char *dir )
+{
+	const char *STARTSUB = "<substitution>";
+	const char *ENDSUB = "</substitution>";
+	const char *MARKER = "<insert>";
+	const char *DELSUB = "<forget>";
+	const char *REPLACE = "<replace>";
+	if(!strcmp(dir, STARTSUB)){
+		return 1;
+	}
+	if(!strcmp(dir, ENDSUB)){
+		return 2;
+	}
+	if(!strcmp(dir, MARKER)){
+		return 3;
+	}
+	if(!strcmp(dir, DELSUB)){
+		return 4;
+	}
+	if(!strcmp(dir, REPLACE)){
+		return '0';
+	}
+	char temp[10];
+	for(int i = '0'; i <= '9'; i++){
+		strcpy(temp, REPLACE);
+		temp[strlen(REPLACE)-1] = i;
+		temp[strlen(REPLACE)] = '>';
+		if(!strcmp(dir, temp)){
+			return i;
+		}
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
+
 bool tabfile_t::read(tabfileobj_t &objinfo, FILE *fp)
 {
 	bool lines = false;
 	char line[LINEBUFFER_SIZE];
-
 	char line_expand[LINEBUFFER_SIZE];
 	char delim_expand[LINEBUFFER_SIZE];
 	char buffer[LINEBUFFER_SIZE];
 	char *param[10];
 	char *expansion[10];
-
+	
+	bool in_sub_block = false; //copy lines to table
+	bool line_to_obj = false; //put line into object
+	char subname[LINEBUFFER_SIZE]; //holds name of substitution block; empty means no substitution
+	
 	current_line_number = 0;
-
 	objinfo.clear();
-
+	
 	do {
 		while(read_line(line, sizeof(line))  &&  *line != '-') {
-			char *delim = strchr(line, '=');
-
-			if(delim) {
-				*delim++ = '\0';
-				format_key(line);
-				if (line[0] == 0) {
-					return false;
+			
+			// Handle substitution blocks. Lines get stored in the hashtable, unless it's the end of the block.
+			// directives are not allowed (except for ending the block), ignored + warning.
+			if(in_sub_block) {
+				if(line[0]  ==  '<') { 
+					if(directive(line)==2){ //End of a substitution block
+						in_sub_block=false;
+					}
+					else {
+						dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "Line %d in substitution block ignored. \"%s\"", current_line_number, line);
+					}
 				}
-
-				int parameters = 0;
-				int expansions = 0;
-				/*
-				@line, the whole parameter text (everything before =)
-				@delim, the whole value text (everything after =)
-				@parameters, number of fields enclosed by square brackets []
-				@expansions, number of expansions included in the value (text inside angle brackets <>)
-				@param, array containing the text inside each [] field
-				@expansion, array containing the text inside each <> field
-				 */
-				if(find_parameter_expansion(line, delim, &parameters, &expansions, param, expansion) > 0) {
-					int parameter_value[10][256];
-					int parameter_length[10];
-					int parameter_values[10]; // number of possible 'values' inside each [] field | e.g. [0-4]=5 / [n,s,w]=3
-					char parameter_name[256][6]; // non-numeric ribis strings for all parameter fields consecutively
-					bool parameter_ribi[10]; // true if parameters are ribi strings
-
-					int combinations=1;
-					int names = 0; // total number of ribi parameters
-
-					// analyse and obtain all parameter expansions
-					for(int i=0; i<parameters; i++) {
-						char *token_ptr;
-						parameter_length[i] = strcspn(param[i],"]");
-						parameter_values[i] = 0;
-						parameter_ribi[i] = false;
-
-						sprintf(buffer, "%.*s", parameter_length[i], param[i]);
-						int name_length = strcspn(buffer,",");
-
-						int value = atoi(buffer);
-						if (value == 0 && (tolower(buffer[0]) == 'n' || tolower(buffer[0]) == 's' || tolower(buffer[0]) == 'e' || tolower(buffer[0]) == 'w')) {
-							sprintf(parameter_name[ names++ ], "%.*s", name_length, buffer);
-							parameter_ribi[i] = true;
+				else{
+					char *helper = new char[strlen(line)+1];
+					strcpy(helper, line);
+					sublines.access(subname)->push_back(helper);
+				}
+			}
+			
+			// Handle directives. Since directives can be key-value-pairs, they may need to be seperated.
+			// Directive strings are turned into integers via directive() to be used in a switch.
+			else if(line[0]  ==  '<') {
+				char *delim = strchr(line, '=');
+				if(delim) {
+					*delim++ = '\0';
+					format_key(line);
+				}
+				switch (directive(line)){
+					case 1: //Beginning of a substitution block
+					if(delim) {
+						strcpy(subname, delim);
+						sublines.put(subname, std::vector<char*>(0));
+						in_sub_block = true;
+					}
+					else{
+						dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "Line %d ignored. Start of substitution block without name.", current_line_number);
+					}
+					break;
+					case 2: //End of a substitution block
+					dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "End of substitution block outside of substitution block in line  %d ignored.", current_line_number);
+					break;
+					case 3: //Insertion marker
+					if(delim) {
+						strcpy(subname, delim);
+						line_to_obj = true;
+					}
+					else{
+						dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "Line %d ignored. Insertion of substitution without name.", current_line_number);
+					}
+					break;
+					case 4: //forget substitution block
+					if(delim) {
+						sublines.remove(delim);
+					}
+					else{
+						sublines.clear();
+					}
+					break;
+					//replacements (48-58)
+					case '0': case '1': case '2': case '3': case '4': case '5': case '6': case '7': case '8': case '9':
+					if(delim) {
+						char *helper = new char[strlen(delim)+1];
+						strcpy(helper, delim);
+						replacements[directive(line)-'0'] = helper;
+					}
+					else{
+						replacements[directive(line)-'0'] = "";
+					}
+					break;
+					default: //Unknown command
+					dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "Unknown command in line %d ignored. \"%s\"", current_line_number, line);
+				}
+			}
+			
+			// Handle regular lines.
+			else {
+				subname[0]='\0';
+				line_to_obj = true;
+			}
+			
+			// Turn lines into key-value-pairs and store them in objinfo
+			if(line_to_obj) {
+			
+				// For regular lines, go through the loop once.
+				// For a substitution block, loop through each stored line.
+				// For a substitution block without lines stored, skip the loop.
+				for(size_t i=0; i < (subname[0] ? (sublines.access(subname) ? sublines.access(subname)->size() : 0) : 1); i++) {
+					
+					// Get lines from stored substitution block
+					if(subname[0]) {
+						strcpy(line, sublines.access(subname)->at(i));
+					}
+					
+					// replacements
+					replace(line);
+					
+					// Finally, the line can be seperated in key and value, expanded if shorthand is used, and put into objinfo
+					char *delim = strchr(line, '=');
+					
+					if(delim) {
+						*delim++ = '\0';
+						format_key(line);
+						if (line[0] == 0) {
+							return false;
 						}
-						parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = value;
-
-						token_ptr = strtok(buffer,"-,");
-						while (token_ptr != NULL && parameter_values[i]<256) {
-							switch(param[i][token_ptr-buffer-1]) {
-								case ',':
-									value = atoi(token_ptr);
-									if (parameter_ribi[i]) {
-										value = parameter_values[i];
-										sprintf(parameter_name[ names++ ], "%.*s", (int)strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,","), buffer+name_length+1);
-										name_length += strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,",") + 1;
-									}
-									parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = value;
-								break;
-								case '-':
-									if (parameter_ribi[i]) {
-										value = parameter_values[i];
-										sprintf(parameter_name[value], "%.*s", (int)strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,","), buffer+name_length+1);
-										name_length += strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,",") + 1;
-										parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = value;
+
+						int parameters = 0;
+						int expansions = 0;
+						/*
+						@line, the whole parameter text (everything before =)
+						@delim, the whole value text (everything after =)
+						@parameters, number of fields enclosed by square brackets []
+						@expansions, number of expansions included in the value (text inside angle brackets <>)
+						@param, array containing the text inside each [] field
+						@expansion, array containing the text inside each <> field
+						 */
+						if(find_parameter_expansion(line, delim, &parameters, &expansions, param, expansion) > 0) {
+							int parameter_value[10][256];
+							int parameter_length[10];
+							int parameter_values[10]; // number of possible 'values' inside each [] field | e.g. [0-4]=5 / [n,s,w]=3
+							char parameter_name[256][6]; // non-numeric ribis strings for all parameter fields consecutively
+							bool parameter_ribi[10]; // true if parameters are ribi strings
+
+							int combinations=1;
+							int names = 0; // total number of ribi parameters
+
+							// analyse and obtain all parameter expansions
+							for(int i=0; i<parameters; i++) {
+								char *token_ptr;
+								parameter_length[i] = strcspn(param[i],"]");
+								parameter_values[i] = 0;
+								parameter_ribi[i] = false;
+
+								sprintf(buffer, "%.*s", parameter_length[i], param[i]);
+								int name_length = strcspn(buffer,",");
+
+								int value = atoi(buffer);
+								if (value == 0 && (tolower(buffer[0]) == 'n' || tolower(buffer[0]) == 's' || tolower(buffer[0]) == 'e' || tolower(buffer[0]) == 'w')) {
+									sprintf(parameter_name[ names++ ], "%.*s", name_length, buffer);
+									parameter_ribi[i] = true;
+								}
+								parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = value;
+
+								token_ptr = strtok(buffer,"-,");
+								while (token_ptr != NULL && parameter_values[i]<256) {
+									switch(param[i][token_ptr-buffer-1]) {
+										case ',':
+											value = atoi(token_ptr);
+											if (parameter_ribi[i]) {
+												value = parameter_values[i];
+												sprintf(parameter_name[ names++ ], "%.*s", (int)strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,","), buffer+name_length+1);
+												name_length += strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,",") + 1;
+											}
+											parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = value;
+										break;
+										case '-':
+											if (parameter_ribi[i]) {
+												value = parameter_values[i];
+												sprintf(parameter_name[value], "%.*s", (int)strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,","), buffer+name_length+1);
+												name_length += strcspn(buffer+name_length+1,",") + 1;
+												parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = value;
+											}
+											else {
+												const int start_range = parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]-1];
+												const int end_range = atoi(token_ptr);
+
+												if (parameter_values[i] + (end_range - start_range) >= 256) {
+													dbg->fatal("tabfile_t::read", "Invalid number range %d-%d (Max range %d values) in line %d", start_range, end_range, 256 - parameter_values[i], current_line_number);
+												}
+
+												for(int range=start_range; range<end_range; range++) {
+													parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = range+1;
+												}
+											}
 									}
-									else {
-										const int start_range = parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]-1];
-										const int end_range = atoi(token_ptr);
+									token_ptr = strtok(NULL, "-,");
+								}
+								combinations*=parameter_values[i];
+							}
 
-										if (parameter_values[i] + (end_range - start_range) >= 256) {
-											dbg->fatal("tabfile_t::read", "Invalid number range %d-%d (Max range %d values) in line %d", start_range, end_range, 256 - parameter_values[i], current_line_number);
+							// start expansion of the parameter
+							for(int c=0; c<combinations; c++) {
+								int names = 0;
+								int combination[10];
+								if(parameters>0) {
+									// warp values around the number of parameters the expansion has
+									for(int j=0; j<parameters; j++) {
+										combination[j] = c;
+										for(int k=0; k<j; k++) {
+											combination[j]/=parameter_values[k];
 										}
-
-										for(int range=start_range; range<end_range; range++) {
-											parameter_value[i][parameter_values[i]++] = range+1;
+										combination[j]%=parameter_values[j];
+									}
+									char* prev_end = line;
+									line_expand[0] = 0;
+									for (int i=0; i<parameters; i++) {
+										// if expanding non-numerical parameters
+										if (parameter_ribi[i]) {
+											sprintf(buffer, "%.*s%s", (int)(param[i]-prev_end), prev_end, parameter_name[ names + combination[i]]);
+											names += parameter_values[i];
+										}
+										// if expanding numerical parameters
+										else {
+											sprintf(buffer, "%.*s%d", (int)(param[i]-prev_end), prev_end, parameter_value[i][combination[i]]);
 										}
+										strcat(line_expand, buffer);
+										prev_end = param[i]+parameter_length[i];
 									}
-							}
-							token_ptr = strtok(NULL, "-,");
-						}
-						combinations*=parameter_values[i];
-					}
-
-					// start expansion of the parameter
-					for(int c=0; c<combinations; c++) {
-						int names = 0;
-						int combination[10];
-						if(parameters>0) {
-							// warp values around the number of parameters the expansion has
-							for(int j=0; j<parameters; j++) {
-								combination[j] = c;
-								for(int k=0; k<j; k++) {
-									combination[j]/=parameter_values[k];
-								}
-								combination[j]%=parameter_values[j];
-							}
-							char* prev_end = line;
-							line_expand[0] = 0;
-							for (int i=0; i<parameters; i++) {
-								// if expanding non-numerical parameters
-								if (parameter_ribi[i]) {
-									sprintf(buffer, "%.*s%s", (int)(param[i]-prev_end), prev_end, parameter_name[ names + combination[i]]);
-									names += parameter_values[i];
+									strcat(line_expand, param[parameters-1]+parameter_length[parameters-1]);
 								}
-								// if expanding numerical parameters
 								else {
-									sprintf(buffer, "%.*s%d", (int)(param[i]-prev_end), prev_end, parameter_value[i][combination[i]]);
+									strcpy(line_expand, line);
 								}
-								strcat(line_expand, buffer);
-								prev_end = param[i]+parameter_length[i];
-							}
-							strcat(line_expand, param[parameters-1]+parameter_length[parameters-1]);
-						}
-						else {
-							strcpy(line_expand, line);
-						}
 
-						// expand the value
-						if(expansions>0) {
-							int expansion_length[10];
-							int expansion_value[10];
+								// expand the value
+								if(expansions>0) {
+									int expansion_length[10];
+									int expansion_value[10];
 
-							for(int i=0; i<expansions; i++) {
-								expansion_length[i] = strcspn(expansion[i],">")-1;
-								sprintf(buffer, "%.*s", expansion_length[i]+1, expansion[i]);
+									for(int i=0; i<expansions; i++) {
+										expansion_length[i] = strcspn(expansion[i],">")-1;
+										sprintf(buffer, "%.*s", expansion_length[i]+1, expansion[i]);
 
-								expansion_value[i] = calculate(buffer, parameter_value, parameters, combination);
-							}
+										expansion_value[i] = calculate(buffer, parameter_value, parameters, combination);
+									}
+
+									sprintf(delim_expand, "%.*s%d", (int)(expansion[0]-delim), delim, expansion_value[0]);
+									for(int i=1; i<expansions; i++) {
+										char *prev_end = expansion[i-1]+expansion_length[i-1]+2;
+										sprintf(buffer, "%.*s%d", (int)(expansion[i]-prev_end), prev_end, expansion_value[i]);
+										strcat(delim_expand, buffer);
+									}
+									strcat(delim_expand, expansion[expansions-1]+expansion_length[expansions-1]+2);
+								}
+								else {
+									strcpy(delim_expand, delim);
+								}
 
-							sprintf(delim_expand, "%.*s%d", (int)(expansion[0]-delim), delim, expansion_value[0]);
-							for(int i=1; i<expansions; i++) {
-								char *prev_end = expansion[i-1]+expansion_length[i-1]+2;
-								sprintf(buffer, "%.*s%d", (int)(expansion[i]-prev_end), prev_end, expansion_value[i]);
-								strcat(delim_expand, buffer);
+								printf("%s = %s\n", line_expand, delim_expand);
+								objinfo.put(line_expand, delim_expand);
+								if (fp != NULL) {
+									fprintf(fp, "%s=%s\n", line_expand, delim_expand);
+								}
 							}
-							strcat(delim_expand, expansion[expansions-1]+expansion_length[expansions-1]+2);
 						}
 						else {
-							strcpy(delim_expand, delim);
-						}
-
-						printf("%s = %s\n", line_expand, delim_expand);
-						objinfo.put(line_expand, delim_expand);
-						if (fp != NULL) {
-							fprintf(fp, "%s=%s\n", line_expand, delim_expand);
+							objinfo.put(line, delim);
+							if (fp != NULL) {
+								fprintf(fp, "%s=%s\n", line, delim);
+							}
 						}
+						lines = true;
 					}
-				}
-				else {
-					objinfo.put(line, delim);
-					if (fp != NULL) {
-						fprintf(fp, "%s=%s\n", line, delim);
+					else if(  *line  ) {
+						dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "No data in \"%s\"", line );
 					}
 				}
-				lines = true;
-			}
-			else if(  *line  ) {
-				dbg->warning( "tabfile_t::read", "No data in \"%s\"", line );
+				line_to_obj=false;
 			}
 		}
 	} while(!lines && !feof(file)); // skip empty objects
diff --git a/dataobj/tabfile.h b/dataobj/tabfile.h
index 83239a566..a0f7cd393 100644
--- a/dataobj/tabfile.h
+++ b/dataobj/tabfile.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "../simcolor.h"
 #include "../tpl/stringhashtable_tpl.h"
@@ -47,7 +48,6 @@ class tabfile_t
 public:
 	tabfile_t() : file(NULL) {}
 	~tabfile_t() { close(); }
-
 public:
 	bool open(const char *filename);
 
@@ -98,11 +98,25 @@ private:
 	 * Format the key string (trimright and lowercase)
 	 */
 	void format_key(char *key);
+	
+	/**
+	 * Turns directives into integer values.
+	 */
+	int directive(char *dir);
+	
+	/**
+	 * replace instances of <?n> in a line with the content of replacements[n]
+	 */
+	void replace(char *line);
 
 private:
 	FILE *file;
 
 	int current_line_number;
+	
+	stringhashtable_tpl<std::vector<char*>> sublines;
+	
+	std::vector<char*> replacements;
 };