diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
index 5d66b2d1a..cca54dad4 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import java.io.FileWriter;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Stack;
 import java.util.StringTokenizer;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import org.apache.myrmidon.api.TaskException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.FilterSetCollection;
 
@@ -245,5 +246,121 @@ public class FileUtils
         }
         return new File( path );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Put quotes around the given String if necessary. <p>
+     *
+     * If the argument doesn't include spaces or quotes, return it as is. If it
+     * contains double quotes, use single quotes - else surround the argument by
+     * double quotes.</p>
+     *
+     * @param argument Description of Parameter
+     * @return Description of the Returned Value
+     */
+    public static String quoteArgument( String argument )
+        throws TaskException
+    {
+        if( argument.indexOf( "\"" ) > -1 )
+        {
+            if( argument.indexOf( "\'" ) > -1 )
+            {
+                throw new TaskException( "Can\'t handle single and double quotes in same argument" );
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                return '\'' + argument + '\'';
+            }
+        }
+        else if( argument.indexOf( "\'" ) > -1 || argument.indexOf( " " ) > -1 )
+        {
+            return '\"' + argument + '\"';
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return argument;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static String[] translateCommandline( String to_process )
+        throws TaskException
+    {
+        if( to_process == null || to_process.length() == 0 )
+        {
+            return new String[ 0 ];
+        }
+
+        // parse with a simple finite state machine
+
+        final int normal = 0;
+        final int inQuote = 1;
+        final int inDoubleQuote = 2;
+        int state = normal;
+        StringTokenizer tok = new StringTokenizer( to_process, "\"\' ", true );
+        ArrayList v = new ArrayList();
+        StringBuffer current = new StringBuffer();
+
+        while( tok.hasMoreTokens() )
+        {
+            String nextTok = tok.nextToken();
+            switch( state )
+            {
+                case inQuote:
+                    if( "\'".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = normal;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        current.append( nextTok );
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case inDoubleQuote:
+                    if( "\"".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = normal;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        current.append( nextTok );
+                    }
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    if( "\'".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = inQuote;
+                    }
+                    else if( "\"".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = inDoubleQuote;
+                    }
+                    else if( " ".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        if( current.length() != 0 )
+                        {
+                            v.add( current.toString() );
+                            current.setLength( 0 );
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        current.append( nextTok );
+                    }
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if( current.length() != 0 )
+        {
+            v.add( current.toString() );
+        }
+
+        if( state == inQuote || state == inDoubleQuote )
+        {
+            throw new TaskException( "unbalanced quotes in " + to_process );
+        }
+
+        final String[] args = new String[ v.size() ];
+        return (String[])v.toArray( args );
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/todo/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/todo/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
index 5d66b2d1a..cca54dad4 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/todo/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/todo/org/apache/tools/ant/util/FileUtils.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import java.io.FileWriter;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Stack;
 import java.util.StringTokenizer;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import org.apache.myrmidon.api.TaskException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.types.FilterSetCollection;
 
@@ -245,5 +246,121 @@ public class FileUtils
         }
         return new File( path );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Put quotes around the given String if necessary. <p>
+     *
+     * If the argument doesn't include spaces or quotes, return it as is. If it
+     * contains double quotes, use single quotes - else surround the argument by
+     * double quotes.</p>
+     *
+     * @param argument Description of Parameter
+     * @return Description of the Returned Value
+     */
+    public static String quoteArgument( String argument )
+        throws TaskException
+    {
+        if( argument.indexOf( "\"" ) > -1 )
+        {
+            if( argument.indexOf( "\'" ) > -1 )
+            {
+                throw new TaskException( "Can\'t handle single and double quotes in same argument" );
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                return '\'' + argument + '\'';
+            }
+        }
+        else if( argument.indexOf( "\'" ) > -1 || argument.indexOf( " " ) > -1 )
+        {
+            return '\"' + argument + '\"';
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return argument;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static String[] translateCommandline( String to_process )
+        throws TaskException
+    {
+        if( to_process == null || to_process.length() == 0 )
+        {
+            return new String[ 0 ];
+        }
+
+        // parse with a simple finite state machine
+
+        final int normal = 0;
+        final int inQuote = 1;
+        final int inDoubleQuote = 2;
+        int state = normal;
+        StringTokenizer tok = new StringTokenizer( to_process, "\"\' ", true );
+        ArrayList v = new ArrayList();
+        StringBuffer current = new StringBuffer();
+
+        while( tok.hasMoreTokens() )
+        {
+            String nextTok = tok.nextToken();
+            switch( state )
+            {
+                case inQuote:
+                    if( "\'".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = normal;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        current.append( nextTok );
+                    }
+                    break;
+                case inDoubleQuote:
+                    if( "\"".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = normal;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        current.append( nextTok );
+                    }
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    if( "\'".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = inQuote;
+                    }
+                    else if( "\"".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        state = inDoubleQuote;
+                    }
+                    else if( " ".equals( nextTok ) )
+                    {
+                        if( current.length() != 0 )
+                        {
+                            v.add( current.toString() );
+                            current.setLength( 0 );
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        current.append( nextTok );
+                    }
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if( current.length() != 0 )
+        {
+            v.add( current.toString() );
+        }
+
+        if( state == inQuote || state == inDoubleQuote )
+        {
+            throw new TaskException( "unbalanced quotes in " + to_process );
+        }
+
+        final String[] args = new String[ v.size() ];
+        return (String[])v.toArray( args );
+    }
 }