--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/icqsol_utils.py	Sat Nov 14 14:14:45 2015 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import os
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+POLYDATA='POLYDATA'
+
+def asbool( val ):
+    return str( val ).lower() in [ 'yes', 'true' ]
+
+def get_format_and_type( galaxy_ext ):
+    # Define the output file format and type.
+    format = None
+    datatype = None
+    if galaxy_ext in [ 'vtkascii', 'vtkbinary' ]:
+        format = 'vtk'
+    elif galaxy_ext in [ 'plyascii', 'plybinary' ]:
+        format = 'ply'
+    if galaxy_ext in [ 'vtkascii', 'plyascii' ]:
+        datatype = 'ascii'
+    elif galaxy_ext in [ 'vtkbinary', 'plybinary' ]:
+        datatype = 'binary'
+    return format, datatype
+
+def get_input_file_path( tmp_dir, input_file, format ):
+    """
+    iCqSol uses file extensions (e.g., .ply, .vtk) when reading and
+    writing files, so the Galaxy dataset naming convention of
+    setting all file extensions as .dat must be handled.
+    """
+    file_path = get_temporary_file_path( tmp_dir, format )
+    # Remove the file so we can create a symlink.
+    os.remove( file_path )
+    os.symlink( input_file, file_path )
+    return file_path
+
+def get_temp_dir( prefix='tmp-vtk-', dir=None ):
+    """
+    Return a temporary directory.
+    """
+    return tempfile.mkdtemp( prefix=prefix, dir=dir )
+
+def get_tempfilename( dir=None, suffix=None ):
+    """
+    Return a temporary file name.
+    """
+    fd, name = tempfile.mkstemp( suffix=suffix, dir=dir )
+    os.close( fd )
+    return name
+
+def get_temporary_file_path( tmp_dir, file_extension ):
+    """
+    Return the path to a temporary file with a valid VTK format
+    file extension.
+    """
+    return get_tempfilename( tmp_dir, file_extension )
+
+def stop_err( msg ):
+    sys.stderr.write( "%s\n" % msg )
+    sys.exit()