diff --git a/railties/lib/generator/generated_attribute.rb b/railties/lib/generator/generated_attribute.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ead945281
--- /dev/null
+++ b/railties/lib/generator/generated_attribute.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+module Rails
+  module Generators
+    class GeneratedAttribute
+      attr_accessor :name, :type, :column
+
+      def initialize(name, type)
+        @name, @type = name, type.to_sym
+        @column = ActiveRecord::ConnectionAdapters::Column.new(@name, nil, @type)
+      end
+
+      def field_type
+        @field_type ||= case type
+          when :integer, :float, :decimal   then :text_field
+          when :datetime, :timestamp, :time then :datetime_select
+          when :date                        then :date_select
+          when :string                      then :text_field
+          when :text                        then :text_area
+          when :boolean                     then :check_box
+          else
+            :text_field
+        end
+      end
+
+      def default
+        @default ||= case type
+          when :integer                     then 1
+          when :float                       then 1.5
+          when :decimal                     then "9.99"
+          when :datetime, :timestamp, :time then Time.now.to_s(:db)
+          when :date                        then Date.today.to_s(:db)
+          when :string                      then "MyString"
+          when :text                        then "MyText"
+          when :boolean                     then false
+          else
+            ""
+        end
+      end
+
+      def reference?
+        [ :references, :belongs_to ].include?(self.type)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/railties/lib/generator/named_base.rb b/railties/lib/generator/named_base.rb
index c35667576a..6035d71060 100644
--- a/railties/lib/generator/named_base.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/generator/named_base.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'generator/base'
+require 'generator/generated_attribute'
 
 module Rails
   module Generators
@@ -7,11 +8,13 @@ module Rails
 
       attr_reader :class_name, :singular_name, :plural_name, :table_name,
                   :class_path, :file_path, :class_nesting, :class_nesting_depth
+
       alias :file_name :singular_name
 
       def initialize(*args)
         super
         assign_names!
+        parse_attributes! if respond_to?(:attributes)
       end
 
       protected
@@ -35,6 +38,14 @@ module Rails
           end
         end
 
+        # Convert attributes hash into an array with GeneratedAttribute objects.
+        #
+        def parse_attributes!
+          attributes.map! do |name, type|
+            Rails::Generator::GeneratedAttribute.new(name, type)
+          end
+        end
+
         # Extract modules from filesystem-style or ruby-style path. Both
         # good/fun/stuff and Good::Fun::Stuff produce the same results.
         #