unicode: "",
                bool: False,
                int: 0,
                gtk.gdk.Pixbuf: empty_pixbuf
            }
            if gtk.gdk.Pixbuf in vartypes:
                pix_entry = vartypes.index(gtk.gdk.Pixbuf) 
            

            normal_bg = uikit.get_bg_color(widget)
            # sort data into gtk liststore array
            for row in entries:

                # preset some values if absent
                row.setdefault("deleted", False)
                row.setdefault("search_col", "#ffffff")
                row.setdefault("search_col", normal_bg) #ffffff
                row.setdefault("search_set", False)

                # generate ordered list from dictionary, using rowmap association
                row = [   row.get( skey , defaults[vartypes[i]] )   for i,skey   in enumerate(rowmap)   ]

                # map Python2 unicode to str
                row = [ str(value) if type(value) is unicode else value  for value in row ]

            # apply array to widget
            widget.set_model(ls)
            return ls, rowmap, pix_entry
            
        pass


    # figure out standard background
    @staticmethod
    def get_bg_color(widget):
        try:
            # Gtk3 only
            normal_bg = widget.get_style_context().get_background_color(gtk.StateType.NORMAL)
            normal_bg = normal_bg.to_string()
        except:
            normal_bg = "#ffffff"  # Gtk2 default
        return normal_bg


    #-- treeview for categories
    #
    # simple two-level treeview display in one column
    # with entries = [main,[sub,sub], title,[...],...]
    #