Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.787
diff -u -u -p -r1.787 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	17 Aug 2008 11:08:23 -0000	1.787
+++ includes/common.inc	20 Aug 2008 23:38:27 -0000
@@ -2949,6 +2949,9 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
     'indentation' => array(
       'arguments' => array('size' => 1),
     ),
+    'cols' => array(
+      'arguments' => array('form' => NULL),
+    ),
     // from pager.inc
     'pager' => array(
       'arguments' => array('tags' => array(), 'limit' => 10, 'element' => 0, 'parameters' => array()),
Index: includes/theme.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/theme.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.432
diff -u -u -p -r1.432 theme.inc
--- includes/theme.inc	16 Aug 2008 21:05:49 -0000	1.432
+++ includes/theme.inc	20 Aug 2008 23:38:27 -0000
@@ -1694,6 +1694,34 @@ function theme_indentation($size = 1) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Implement handy way for forms to easily theme the buttons into columns.
+ * Put '#theme' => 'cols' on your form element (probably a fieldset).
+ *
+ * @param $form
+ *   FAPI passes the form element
+ */
+function theme_cols($form) {
+  $cols = isset($form['#cols']) ? $form['#cols'] : 3;
+  $children = element_children($form);
+  $total = count($children);
+  $total = (int) (($total % $cols) ? (($total + $cols - 1) / $cols) : ($total / $cols));
+  $pos = 0;
+  $rows = array();
+  $percent = ((int) (100 / $cols)) .'%';
+  foreach ($children as $key) {
+    $element = $form[$key];
+    $pos ++;
+    $row = $pos % $total;
+    $col = $pos / $total;
+    if (!isset($rows[$row])) {
+      $rows[$row] = array();
+    }
+    $rows[$row][$col] = array('data' => drupal_render($element), 'width' => $percent);
+  }
+  return theme('table', array(), $rows);
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup themeable".
  */
 
Index: modules/filter/filter.admin.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/filter/filter.admin.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.13
diff -u -u -p -r1.13 filter.admin.inc
--- modules/filter/filter.admin.inc	24 Jul 2008 16:27:51 -0000	1.13
+++ modules/filter/filter.admin.inc	20 Aug 2008 23:38:27 -0000
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ function filter_admin_format_form(&$form
     '#title' => t('Roles'),
     '#description' => $default ? $help : t('Choose which roles may use this filter format. Note that roles with the "administer filters" permission can always use all the filter formats.'),
     '#tree' => TRUE,
+    '#theme' => 'cols',
   );
 
   foreach (user_roles() as $rid => $name) {
@@ -146,6 +147,8 @@ function filter_admin_format_form(&$form
     '#title' => t('Filters'),
     '#description' => t('Choose the filters that will be used in this filter format.'),
     '#tree' => TRUE,
+    '#theme' => 'cols',
+    '#cols' => 2,
   );
   foreach ($all as $id => $filter) {
     $form['filters'][$id] = array('#type' => 'checkbox',
Index: modules/user/user.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/user/user.module,v
retrieving revision 1.916
diff -u -u -p -r1.916 user.module
--- modules/user/user.module	17 Aug 2008 10:46:30 -0000	1.916
+++ modules/user/user.module	20 Aug 2008 23:38:27 -0000
@@ -1471,6 +1471,7 @@ function user_edit_form(&$form_state, $u
         '#title' => t('Roles'),
         '#default_value' => $default,
         '#options' => $roles,
+        '#theme' => 'cols',
         DRUPAL_AUTHENTICATED_RID => $checkbox_authenticated,
       );
     }