diff --git a/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone.php b/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone.php
index dd3679f..d414730 100644
--- a/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone.php
+++ b/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 # ***** END LICENSE BLOCK ***** */
 
 require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . "/Monotone/Stdio.php");
+require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . "/Monotone/BasicIO.php");
 
 /**
  * Monotone scm class
@@ -143,75 +144,6 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
         return preg_split("/\n/", $out, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Parses monotone's basic_io format
-     *
-     * @param string $in
-     * @return array of arrays
-     */
-    private static function _parseBasicIO($in)
-    {
-        $pos = 0;
-        $stanzas = array();
-
-        while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
-            $stanza = array();
-            while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
-                if ($in[$pos] == "\n") break;
-
-                $stanzaLine = array('key' => '', 'values' => array(), 'hash' => null);
-                while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
-                    $ch = $in[$pos];
-                    if ($ch == '"' || $ch == '[') break;
-                    ++$pos;
-                    if ($ch == ' ') continue;
-                    $stanzaLine['key'] .= $ch;
-                }
-
-                if ($in[$pos] == '[') {
-                    ++$pos; // opening square bracket
-                    $stanzaLine['hash'] = substr($in, $pos, 40);
-                    $pos += 40;
-                    ++$pos; // closing square bracket
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    $valCount = 0;
-                    while ($in[$pos] == '"') {
-                        ++$pos; // opening quote
-                        $stanzaLine['values'][$valCount] = '';
-                        while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
-                            $ch = $in[$pos]; $pr = $in[$pos-1];
-                            if ($ch == '"' && $pr != '\\') break;
-                            ++$pos;
-                            $stanzaLine['values'][$valCount] .= $ch;
-                        }
-                        ++$pos; // closing quote
-
-                        if ($in[$pos] == ' ') {
-                            ++$pos; // space
-                            ++$valCount;
-                        }
-                    }
-
-                    for ($i = 0; $i <= $valCount; $i++) {
-                        $stanzaLine['values'][$i] = str_replace(
-                            array("\\\\", "\\\""),
-                            array("\\", "\""),
-                            $stanzaLine['values'][$i]
-                        );
-                    }
-                }
-
-                $stanza[] = $stanzaLine;
-                ++$pos; // newline
-            }
-            $stanzas[] = $stanza;
-            ++$pos; // newline
-        }
-        return $stanzas;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Queries the certs for a given revision and returns them in an
      * associative array array("branch" => array("branch1", ...), ...)
@@ -226,7 +158,7 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
         if (!array_key_exists($rev, $certCache)) {
             $out = $this->stdio->exec(array('certs', $rev));
 
-            $stanzas = self::_parseBasicIO($out);
+            $stanzas = IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO::parse($out);
             $certs = array();
             foreach ($stanzas as $stanza) {
                 $certname = null;
@@ -290,7 +222,7 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
             'get_content_changed', $startrev, $file
         ));
 
-        $stanzas = self::_parseBasicIO($out);
+        $stanzas = IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO::parse($out);
 
         // FIXME: we only care about the first returned content mark
         // everything else seem to be very, very rare cases
@@ -326,7 +258,7 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
         $out = $this->stdio->exec(array('tags'));
 
         $tags = array();
-        $stanzas = self::_parseBasicIO($out);
+        $stanzas = IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO::parse($out);
         foreach ($stanzas as $stanza) {
             $tagname = null;
             foreach ($stanza as $stanzaline) {
@@ -375,7 +307,7 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
         ));
 
         $files = array();
-        $stanzas = self::_parseBasicIO($out);
+        $stanzas = IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO::parse($out);
         $folder = $folder == '/' || empty($folder) ? '' : $folder.'/';
 
         foreach ($stanzas as $stanza) {
@@ -525,7 +457,7 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
         ));
 
         $files = array();
-        $stanzas = self::_parseBasicIO($out);
+        $stanzas = IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO::parse($out);
 
         foreach ($stanzas as $stanza) {
             if ($stanza[0]['key'] == 'format_version')
@@ -666,7 +598,7 @@ class IDF_Scm_Monotone extends IDF_Scm
         ));
 
         $newAndPatchedFiles = 0;
-        $stanzas = self::_parseBasicIO($out);
+        $stanzas = IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO::parse($out);
 
         foreach ($stanzas as $stanza) {
             if ($stanza[0]['key'] == 'patch' || $stanza[0]['key'] == 'add_file')
diff --git a/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone/BasicIO.php b/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone/BasicIO.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0a5fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/IDF/Scm/Monotone/BasicIO.php
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+<?php
+/* -*- tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*- */
+/*
+# ***** BEGIN LICENSE BLOCK *****
+# This file is part of InDefero, an open source project management application.
+# Copyright (C) 2010 Céondo Ltd and contributors.
+#
+# InDefero is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# InDefero is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+#
+# ***** END LICENSE BLOCK ***** */
+
+/**
+ * Utility class to parse and compile basic_io stanzas
+ *
+ * @author Thomas Keller <me@thomaskeller.biz>
+ */
+class IDF_Scm_Monotone_BasicIO extends IDF_Scm
+{
+    /**
+     * Parses monotone's basic_io format
+     *
+     * @param string $in
+     * @return array of arrays
+     */
+    public static function parse($in)
+    {
+        $pos = 0;
+        $stanzas = array();
+
+        while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
+            $stanza = array();
+            while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
+                if ($in[$pos] == "\n") break;
+
+                $stanzaLine = array('key' => '', 'values' => array(), 'hash' => null);
+                while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
+                    $ch = $in[$pos];
+                    if ($ch == '"' || $ch == '[') break;
+                    ++$pos;
+                    if ($ch == ' ') continue;
+                    $stanzaLine['key'] .= $ch;
+                }
+
+                if ($in[$pos] == '[') {
+                    ++$pos; // opening square bracket
+                    $stanzaLine['hash'] = substr($in, $pos, 40);
+                    $pos += 40;
+                    ++$pos; // closing square bracket
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    $valCount = 0;
+                    while ($in[$pos] == '"') {
+                        ++$pos; // opening quote
+                        $stanzaLine['values'][$valCount] = '';
+                        while ($pos < strlen($in)) {
+                            $ch = $in[$pos]; $pr = $in[$pos-1];
+                            if ($ch == '"' && $pr != '\\') break;
+                            ++$pos;
+                            $stanzaLine['values'][$valCount] .= $ch;
+                        }
+                        ++$pos; // closing quote
+
+                        if ($in[$pos] == ' ') {
+                            ++$pos; // space
+                            ++$valCount;
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    for ($i = 0; $i <= $valCount; $i++) {
+                        $stanzaLine['values'][$i] = str_replace(
+                            array("\\\\", "\\\""),
+                            array("\\", "\""),
+                            $stanzaLine['values'][$i]
+                        );
+                    }
+                }
+
+                $stanza[] = $stanzaLine;
+                ++$pos; // newline
+            }
+            $stanzas[] = $stanza;
+            ++$pos; // newline
+        }
+        return $stanzas;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Compiles monotone's basicio format
+     *
+     * @param array $in Array of arrays
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public static function compile($in)
+    {
+        throw new IDF_Scm_Exception("not yet implemented");
+    }
+}
+