diff --git a/tests/dashboard/DashboardNews.php b/tests/dashboard/DashboardNews.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85484ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dashboard/DashboardNews.php
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+<?php
+require_once("../../config/dmsDefaults.php");
+require_once("$default->fileSystemRoot/lib/dashboard/DashboardNews.inc");
+
+/**
+ * $Id$
+ * 
+ * Unit Tests for lib/dashboard/DashboardNews.inc
+ * includes tests for:
+ *	o creation of document object
+ *	o setting/getting of values
+ *	o storing of object
+ *	o updating of object
+ *	o deletion of object
+ *
+ * Licensed under the GNU GPL. For full terms see the file COPYING.
+ * 
+ * @version $Revision$ 
+ * @author Michael Joseph <michael@jamwarehouse.com>, Jam Warehouse (Pty) Ltd, South Africa
+ * @package tests.dashboard
+ */
+
+//if (checkSession()) {
+	
+	// test creation of a dashboard news item
+	echo "<b>Testing dashboard news creation</b><br>";
+	// convert the image to a string
+	$sTestImage = "c:\test.jpg";
+	// TODO: implement
+	//$sImgStr = DashboardNews::imageToString($sTestImage);
+	$sImgStr = $sTestImage;
+	$oNews = & new DashboardNews("test synopsis", "test body", 1, $sImgStr);
+	if (isset($oNews)) {
+		echo "Passed dashboard news creation test<br><br>";
+		
+		echo "<b>Testing setting and getting of dashboard news values</b><br>";		
+		echo "Current dashboard synopsis: " . $oNews->getSynopsis() . "<br>";		
+		echo "Setting synopsis to: blah<br>";
+		$oNews->setSynopsis("blah");		
+		echo "New synopsis: " . $oNews->getSynopsis() . "<br><br>";
+		
+		echo "Current news body: " . $oNews->getBody() . "<br>";
+		echo "Setting news body to: 'blurg'<br>";
+		$oNews->setBody("blurg");
+		echo "New news body: " . $oNews->getBody() . "<br><br>";
+	
+		echo "Current news img: " . $oNews->getImage() . "<br>";
+		echo "Setting news img to 'foo'<br>";
+		$oNews->setImage('foo');
+		echo "New news img: " . $oNews->getImage() . "<br><br>";
+		
+		echo "Current new rank: " . $oNews->getRank() . "<br>";
+		echo "Set new rank to 5<br>";
+		$oNews->setRank(5);
+		echo "New new rank: " . $oNews->getRank() . "<br><br>";
+				
+		echo "<b>Testing dashboard news storage</b><br>";
+		if ($oNews->create()) {
+			echo "Passed dashboard news storage test<br><br>";
+
+			echo "<b>Testing dashboard news update</b><br>";
+			echo "setting attributes to ('a','b','c',10)";
+			$oNews->setSynopsis("a");
+			$oNews->setBody("b");
+			$oNews->setImage("c");
+			$oNews->setRank(10);
+			if ($oNews->update()) {
+				echo "Passed dashboard news update test<br>";
+			} else {
+				echo "Failed dashboard news update test: " . $_SESSION["errorMessage"];
+			}
+
+			echo "<b>Testing dashboard news deletion</b><br>";
+			if ($oNews->delete()) {
+				echo "Passed dashboard news deletion test<br>";
+			} else {
+				echo "Failed dashboard news deletion test: " . $_SESSION["errorMessage"];
+			}
+
+		} else {
+			echo "Failed dashboard news storage test: " . $_SESSION["errorMessage"] . "<br>";
+			echo "Tests NOT run: (a)dashboard news deletion (b) dashboard news update<br>";
+		}
+	} else {
+		echo "Failed dashboard news creation test<br>";
+		echo "Tests NOT run: (a)getting and setting (b)dashboard news storage (c)dashboard news deletion<br>";
+	}
+//}
+?>