--- a/pvl/web/__init__.py	Thu Jan 31 00:11:29 2013 +0200
+++ b/pvl/web/__init__.py	Sun Feb 10 12:06:01 2013 +0200
@@ -2,15 +2,10 @@
     Werkzeug-based web application.
 """
 
+# items
 from pvl.web.html import tags as html
 from pvl.web.application import Application, Handler
 
 # werkzeug
-from werkzeug.wrappers import Request, Response
-from werkzeug.exceptions import (
-        HTTPException, 
-        BadRequest,         # 400
-        NotFound,           # 404
-)
-from werkzeug.utils import redirect
+from werkzeug.wrappers import Request
 

--- a/pvl/web/application.py	Thu Jan 31 00:11:29 2013 +0200
+++ b/pvl/web/application.py	Sun Feb 10 12:06:01 2013 +0200
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 from werkzeug.wrappers import Request, Response
 from werkzeug.exceptions import HTTPException
 
+import pvl.web.response
+
 import logging; log = logging.getLogger('pvl.web.application')
 
 class Application (object) :
@@ -156,6 +158,13 @@
                 )
             ))
 
+    def response_file (self, file) :
+        """
+            Wrap a file for returning in a response with direct_passthrough=True.
+        """
+
+        return werkzeug.wrap_file(self.request.environ, file)
+
     def process (self, **params) :
         """
             Process request args to build internal request state.
@@ -177,9 +186,10 @@
             return response
         
         # render as html per default
+        # XXX: might also be string?
         text = unicode(self.render_html())
 
-        return Response(text, mimetype='text/html')
+        return pvl.web.response.html(text)
     
     def cleanup (self) :
         """

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/pvl/web/response.py	Sun Feb 10 12:06:01 2013 +0200
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+from werkzeug.wrappers import Response
+from werkzeug.exceptions import (
+        HTTPException, 
+        BadRequest,         # 400
+        NotFound,           # 404
+)
+from werkzeug.utils import redirect
+
+
+import json as _json
+
+def html (tag, **opts) :
+    """
+        Return text/html response for given pvl.web.html
+    """
+
+    return Response(unicode(tag), mimetype='text/html', **opts)
+
+def json (data, **opts) :
+    """
+        Return text/json response for given object.
+    """
+
+    return Response(_json.dumps(data), mimetype='text/json', **opts)
+
+def image (file, type='png') :
+    """
+        Return image/{type} response for given file-like object.
+    """
+ 
+    # respond with file wrapper
+    return Response(file, mimetype='image/{type}'.format(type=type), direct_passthrough=True)        
+