diff --git a/system/helpers/file_helper.php b/system/helpers/file_helper.php
index 21ed5ff..bdde2d5 100644
--- a/system/helpers/file_helper.php
+++ b/system/helpers/file_helper.php
@@ -368,4 +368,92 @@
 	}
 }
 
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/**
+ * Symbolic Permissions
+ *
+ * Takes a numeric value representing a file's permissions and returns
+ * standard symbolic notation representing that value
+ *
+ * @access	public
+ * @param	int
+ * @return	string
+ */	
+if (! function_exists('symbolic_permissions'))
+{
+	function symbolic_permissions($perms)
+	{	
+		if (($perms & 0xC000) == 0xC000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = 's'; // Socket
+		}
+		elseif (($perms & 0xA000) == 0xA000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = 'l'; // Symbolic Link
+		}
+		elseif (($perms & 0x8000) == 0x8000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = '-'; // Regular
+		}
+		elseif (($perms & 0x6000) == 0x6000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = 'b'; // Block special
+		}
+		elseif (($perms & 0x4000) == 0x4000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = 'd'; // Directory
+		}
+		elseif (($perms & 0x2000) == 0x2000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = 'c'; // Character special
+		}
+		elseif (($perms & 0x1000) == 0x1000)
+		{
+			$symbolic = 'p'; // FIFO pipe
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$symbolic = 'u'; // Unknown
+		}
+
+		// Owner
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0100) ? 'r' : '-');
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0080) ? 'w' : '-');
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0040) ? (($perms & 0x0800) ? 's' : 'x' ) : (($perms & 0x0800) ? 'S' : '-'));
+
+		// Group
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0020) ? 'r' : '-');
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0010) ? 'w' : '-');
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0008) ? (($perms & 0x0400) ? 's' : 'x' ) : (($perms & 0x0400) ? 'S' : '-'));
+
+		// World
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0004) ? 'r' : '-');
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0002) ? 'w' : '-');
+		$symbolic .= (($perms & 0x0001) ? (($perms & 0x0200) ? 't' : 'x' ) : (($perms & 0x0200) ? 'T' : '-'));
+
+		return $symbolic;		
+	}
+}
+
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/**
+ * Octal Permissions
+ *
+ * Takes a numeric value representing a file's permissions and returns
+ * a three character string representing the file's octal permissions
+ *
+ * @access	public
+ * @param	int
+ * @return	string
+ */	
+if (! function_exists('octal_permissions'))
+{
+	function octal_permissions($perms)
+	{
+		return substr(sprintf('%o', $perms), -3);
+	}
+}
+
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/user_guide/changelog.html b/user_guide/changelog.html
index 07637db..7ce6727 100644
--- a/user_guide/changelog.html
+++ b/user_guide/changelog.html
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@
     <li>Helpers
 		<ul>
 			<li>Added a <a href="helpers/compatibility_helper.html">Compatibility Helper</a> for using some common PHP 5 functions safely in applications that might run on PHP 4 servers (thanks Seppo for the hard work and code contribution!)</li>
+			<li>Added <kbd>symbolic_permissions()</kbd> and <kbd>octal_permissions()</kbd> to the <a href='helpers/file_helper.html'>File helper</a>.</li>
 			<li>Added <kbd>form_button()</kbd> in the <a href="helpers/form_helper.html">Form helper</a>.</li>
 			<li>Changed the radio() and checkbox() functions to default to not checked by default.</li>
 			<li>Added the ability to include an optional HTTP Response Code in the <kbd>redirect()</kbd> function of the <a href="helpers/url_helper.html">URL Helper</a>.</li>
diff --git a/user_guide/helpers/file_helper.html b/user_guide/helpers/file_helper.html
index 3fa9246..13d0beb 100644
--- a/user_guide/helpers/file_helper.html
+++ b/user_guide/helpers/file_helper.html
@@ -142,7 +142,25 @@
 echo $file . ' is has a mime type of ' . get_mime_by_extension($file);</code>
 </p>
 <p class="critical"><strong>Note:</strong> This is not an accurate way of determining file mime types, and is here strictly as a convenience. It should not be  used for security.</p>
+
+<h2>symbolic_permissions(<kbd>$perms</kbd>)</h2>
+
+<p>Takes numeric permissions (such as is returned by <kbd>fileperms()</kbd> and returns standard symbolic notation of file permissions.</p>
+
+<code>echo symbolic_permissions(fileperms('./index.php'));<br />
+<br />
+// -rw-r--r--</code>
+
+<h2>octal_permissions(<kbd>$perms</kbd>)</h2>
+
+<p>Takes numeric permissions (such as is returned by <kbd>fileperms()</kbd> and returns a three character octal notation of file permissions.</p>
+
+<code>echo octal_permissions(fileperms('./index.php'));<br />
+<br />
+// 644</code>
+
 </div>
+
 <!-- END CONTENT -->