Index: masterfs/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/masterfs/MasterFileObjectTestHid.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/openide/masterfs/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/masterfs/MasterFileObjectTestHid.java,v
retrieving revision 1.33
diff -u -r1.33 MasterFileObjectTestHid.java
--- masterfs/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/masterfs/MasterFileObjectTestHid.java   8 Aug 2006 15:54:12 -0000       1.33
+++ masterfs/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/masterfs/MasterFileObjectTestHid.java   29 Aug 2006 09:43:00 -0000
@@ -67,6 +67,19 @@
         };
     }

+    public void  testCreateFolderOrDataFile() throws IOException {
+        FileObject fo = FileUtil.createFolder(getWorkDir());
+        assertNotNull(fo);
+        File f = FileUtil.toFile(fo);
+        assertNotNull(f);
+        fo = FileUtil.createFolder(new File(f,"a/b/c"));
+        assertNotNull(fo);
+        f = FileUtil.toFile(fo);
+        assertNotNull(f);
+        fo = FileUtil.createData(new File(f,"a/b/c"));
+        assertNotNull(fo);
+    }
+
     public void  testGetNameExt2() throws IOException {
         FileObject fold1 = FileUtil.createFolder(
                 FileBasedFileSystem.getFileObject(getWorkDir()),getName());
Index: fs/apichanges.xml
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/openide/fs/apichanges.xml,v
retrieving revision 1.10
diff -u -r1.10 apichanges.xml
--- fs/apichanges.xml   1 Jul 2006 09:08:03 -0000       1.10
+++ fs/apichanges.xml   29 Aug 2006 09:43:00 -0000
@@ -23,6 +23,26 @@
         <apidef name="filesystems">Filesystems API</apidef>
     </apidefs>
     <changes>
+        <change id="createData-and-createFolder-take-File-as-parameter">
+            <api name="filesystems"/>
+            <summary>Added additional methods <code>FileUtil.createData</code>
+                and <code>FileUtil.createFolder</code> that take <code>java.io.File</code> as a parameter.
+            </summary>
+            <version major="7" minor="0"/>
+            <date day="29" month="8" year="2006"/>
+            <author login="rmatous"/>
+            <compatibility addition="yes" binary="compatible" source="compatible" semantic="compatible" deprecation="no" deletion="no" modification="no"/>
+            <description>
+                <p>
+                    Added two utility methods for createtion of folders and data files
+                    that take <code>java.io.File</code> as a parameter:
+                    <code>public static FileObject createFolder (final File folder) throws IOException</code> and
+                    <code>public static FileObject createData (final File folder) throws IOException</code>
+                </p>
+            </description>
+            <class package="org.openide.filesystems" name="FileUtil"/>
+            <issue number="81527"/>
+        </change>
         <change id="method-value-with-map">
             <api name="filesystems"/>
             <summary>Semantics of XMLFileSystem's methodvalue extended to
Index: fs/src/org/openide/filesystems/FileUtil.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/openide/fs/src/org/openide/filesystems/FileUtil.java,v
retrieving revision 1.25
diff -u -r1.25 FileUtil.java
--- fs/src/org/openide/filesystems/FileUtil.java        28 Jul 2006 16:04:27 -0000      1.25
+++ fs/src/org/openide/filesystems/FileUtil.java        29 Aug 2006 09:43:00 -0000
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.Stack;
 import java.util.StringTokenizer;
 import java.util.WeakHashMap;
 import java.util.jar.JarEntry;
@@ -99,6 +100,92 @@
     private FileUtil() {
     }

+    /** Returns a folder on given filesystem if such a folder exists.
+     * If not then a folder is created, including any necessary but nonexistent parent
+     * folders. Note that if this operation fails it may have succeeded in creating some of the necessary
+     * parent folders.
+     *
+     * @param folder
+     * @throws java.io.IOException if the creation fails
+     * @return the existing or new folder
+     */
+    public static FileObject createFolder (final File folder) throws IOException {
+        //doesn't work for LocalFileSystem (just on MasterFS) - probably not needed
+        FileObject retval = null;
+        File root = getRoot(folder);
+        FileObject rootFo = FileUtil.toFileObject(root);
+        assert rootFo != null : root.getAbsolutePath();
+        final String relativePath = getRelativePath(root, folder);
+        try {
+            retval = FileUtil.createFolder(rootFo,relativePath);
+        } catch (IOException ex) {
+            //thus retval = null;
+        }
+        //if refresh needed because of external changes
+        if (retval == null || !retval.isValid()) {
+            rootFo.getFileSystem().refresh(false);
+            retval = FileUtil.createFolder(rootFo,relativePath);
+        }
+        assert retval != null;
+        return retval;
+    }
+
+    /** Returns a data file on given filesystem if such a data file exists.
+     * If not then a data file is created, including any necessary but nonexistent parent
+     * folders. Note that if this operation fails it may have succeeded in creating some of the necessary
+     * parent folders.
+     *
+     * @param data
+     * @throws java.io.IOException
+     * @throws java.io.IOException if the creation fails
+     * @return the existing or new data file
+     */
+    public static FileObject createData (final File data) throws IOException {
+        //doesn't work for LocalFileSystem (just on MasterFS) - probably not needed
+        FileObject retval = null;
+        File root = getRoot(data);
+        FileObject rootFo = FileUtil.toFileObject(root);
+        assert rootFo != null : root.getAbsolutePath();
+        final String relativePath = getRelativePath(root, data);
+        try {
+            retval = FileUtil.createData(rootFo,relativePath);
+        } catch (IOException ex) {
+            //thus retval = null;
+        }
+        //if refresh needed because of external changes
+        if (retval == null || !retval.isValid()) {
+            rootFo.getFileSystem().refresh(false);
+            retval = FileUtil.createData(rootFo,relativePath);
+        }
+        assert retval != null;
+        return retval;
+    }
+
+    private static File getRoot(final File dir) {
+        File retval = dir;
+        for (; retval.getParentFile() != null; retval = retval.getParentFile());
+        assert retval != null && retval.exists();
+        return retval;
+    }
+
+    private static String getRelativePath(final File dir, final File file) {
+        Stack stack = new Stack ();
+        File tempFile = file;
+        while(tempFile != null && !tempFile.equals(dir)) {
+            stack.push (tempFile.getName());
+            tempFile = tempFile.getParentFile();
+        }
+        assert tempFile != null : file.getAbsolutePath() + "not found in " + dir.getAbsolutePath();//NOI18N
+        StringBuilder retval = new StringBuilder();
+        while (!stack.isEmpty()) {
+            retval.append((String)stack.pop());
+            if (!stack.isEmpty()) {
+                retval.append("/");//NOI18N
+            }
+        }
+        return retval.toString();
+    }
+
     /** Copies stream of files.
     * <P>
     * Please be aware, that this method doesn't close any of passed streams.