diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResource.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResource.java
index 6ef326f81..6f7184d74 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResource.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResource.java
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
  */
 package org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.Reference;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.Resource;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.util.FileNameMapper;
@@ -99,4 +102,12 @@ public class MappedResource extends ResourceDecorator {
         return (myName == null ? otherName == null : myName.equals(otherName))
             && getResource().equals(m.getResource());
     }
+
+    public String toString() {
+        if (isReference()) {
+            return getCheckedRef().toString();
+        }
+        return getName();
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResourceCollection.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResourceCollection.java
index 84581cdd8..6452bba91 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResourceCollection.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/types/resources/MappedResourceCollection.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  */
 package org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -239,4 +240,27 @@ public class MappedResourceCollection
         }
         return collected;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Format this resource collection as a String.
+     * @return a descriptive <code>String</code>.
+     */
+    public String toString() {
+        if (isReference()) {
+            return getCheckedRef().toString();
+        }
+        Iterator<Resource> i = iterator();
+        if (!i.hasNext()) {
+            return "";
+        }
+        StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
+        while (i.hasNext()) {
+            if (sb.length() > 0) {
+                sb.append(File.pathSeparatorChar);
+            }
+            sb.append(i.next());
+        }
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
+
 }