diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
index 0cab0d6ddc..d8c5ed7068 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.py
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ class TemplateDialog(QDialog, Ui_TemplateDialog):
             self.colored_field.setCurrentIndex(self.colored_field.findData(color_field))
         elif self.iconing or self.embleming:
             self.icon_layout.setVisible(True)
+            self.icon_select_layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
             if self.embleming:
                 self.icon_kind_label.setVisible(False)
                 self.icon_kind.setVisible(False)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.ui
index 2c3eb4b9f2..e97d602e26 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/template_dialog.ui
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
         <widget class="QWidget" name="icon_layout">
          <layout class="QGridLayout">
           <item row="0" column="0" colspan="2">
-           <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
+           <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="icon_kind_layout">
             <item>
              <widget class="QLabel" name="icon_kind_label">
               <property name="text">
@@ -110,15 +110,21 @@
              <string>Copy an icon file name to the clipboard:</string>
             </property>
             <property name="buddy">
-             <cstring>color_name</cstring>
+             <cstring>icon_files</cstring>
             </property>
            </widget>
           </item>
           <item row="2" column="1">
            <widget class="QWidget">
-            <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
+            <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="icon_select_layout">
              <item>
               <widget class="QComboBox" name="icon_files">
+               <property name="toolTip">
+                <string>&lt;p&gt;The template must return the name of the icon file
+                to display. If you wish to display multiple icons, separate the
+                individual icon file names with a ':' (colon). They will all be
+                displayed in the column&lt;/p&gt;</string>
+               </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
              <item>
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py b/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
index e10c4c5481..938ac696d8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class Node:
     NODE_LOCAL_FUNCTION_DEFINE = 28
     NODE_LOCAL_FUNCTION_CALL = 29
     NODE_RANGE = 30
+    NODE_SWITCH = 31
 
     def __init__(self, line_number, name):
         self.my_line_number = line_number
@@ -278,6 +279,13 @@ class FirstNonEmptyNode(Node):
         self.expression_list = expression_list
 
 
+class SwitchNode(Node):
+    def __init__(self, line_number, expression_list):
+        Node.__init__(self, line_number, 'first_non_empty()')
+        self.node_type = self.NODE_SWITCH
+        self.expression_list = expression_list
+
+
 class ContainsNode(Node):
     def __init__(self, line_number, arguments):
         Node.__init__(self, line_number, 'contains()')
@@ -670,6 +678,8 @@ class _Parser:
                              lambda ln, args: IfNode(ln, args[0], (args[1],), (args[2],))),
         'first_non_empty':  (lambda args: len(args) >= 1,
                              lambda ln, args: FirstNonEmptyNode(ln, args)),
+        'switch':           (lambda args: len(args) >= 3 and (len(args) %2) == 0,
+                             lambda ln, args: SwitchNode(ln, args)),
         'assign':           (lambda args: len(args) == 2 and len(args[0]) == 1 and args[0][0].node_type == Node.NODE_RVALUE,
                              lambda ln, args: AssignNode(ln, args[0][0].name, args[1])),
         'contains':         (lambda args: len(args) == 4,
@@ -1148,6 +1158,20 @@ class _Interpreter:
             self.break_reporter(prog.node_name, '', prog.line_number)
         return ''
 
+    def do_node_switch(self, prog):
+        val = self.expr(prog.expression_list[0])
+        for i in range(1, len(prog.expression_list)-1, 2):
+            v = self.expr(prog.expression_list[i])
+            if re.search(v, val, flags=re.I):
+                res = self.expr(prog.expression_list[i+1])
+                if self.break_reporter:
+                    self.break_reporter(prog.node_name, res, prog.line_number)
+                return res
+        res = self.expr(prog.expression_list[-1])
+        if (self.break_reporter):
+            self.break_reporter(prog.node_name, res, prog.line_number)
+        return res
+
     def do_node_strcat(self, prog):
         res = ''.join([self.expr(expr) for expr in prog.expression_list])
         if self.break_reporter:
@@ -1363,6 +1387,7 @@ class _Interpreter:
         Node.NODE_ARGUMENTS:             do_node_arguments,
         Node.NODE_CALL_STORED_TEMPLATE:  do_node_stored_template_call,
         Node.NODE_FIRST_NON_EMPTY:       do_node_first_non_empty,
+        Node.NODE_SWITCH:                do_node_switch,
         Node.NODE_FOR:                   do_node_for,
         Node.NODE_RANGE:                 do_node_range,
         Node.NODE_GLOBALS:               do_node_globals,
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py b/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py
index 7a4706b50c..0c0efab5f8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/formatter_functions.py
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ class BuiltinSwitch(BuiltinFormatterFunction):
 
     def evaluate(self, formatter, kwargs, mi, locals, val, *args):
         if (len(args) % 2) != 1:
-            raise ValueError(_('switch requires an odd number of arguments'))
+            raise ValueError(_('switch requires an even number of arguments'))
         i = 0
         while i < len(args):
             if i + 1 >= len(args):