diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Format.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Format.java
index fd5d21f968684d489a1d2c3db9070805eaf23741..f85493a67348bb2639aa157635cca7379c2d793f 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Format.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Format.java
@@ -76,6 +76,43 @@ public class Format implements IStorable
         return format;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a <code>Format</code> from given <var>value</var>.
+     * 
+     * @param value an example: <code>UNKNOWN [A] V1.2</code>.
+     * @return <code>null</code> if operation fails.
+     */
+    public static final Format createFormatFromString(final String value)
+    {
+        assert value != null : "Format string is not expected to be null.";
+        int index = value.lastIndexOf('V');
+        if (index > -1)
+        {
+            final Version version = Version.createVersionFromString(value.substring(index + 1));
+            if (version != null)
+            {
+                String firstPart = value.substring(0, index).trim();
+                String variant = null;
+                if (firstPart.endsWith("]"))
+                {
+                    index = firstPart.indexOf('[');
+                    if (index > -1)
+                    {
+                        variant = firstPart.substring(index + 1, firstPart.length() - 1);
+                        firstPart = firstPart.substring(0, index).trim();
+                    }
+                }
+                Format format = FormatStore.getFormat(firstPart, version, variant);
+                if (format == null)
+                {
+                    format = new Format(firstPart, version, variant);
+                }
+                return format;
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     private final String code;
 
     private final Version version;
diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java
index 73322214091b1cf79b55e559ca1ced00524143ab..80c19700b435b3a960c0bac6376b81245cdb4397 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java
@@ -41,6 +41,30 @@ public final class Version implements IStorable
         return new Version(Utilities.getNumber(versionFolder, MAJOR), Utilities.getNumber(versionFolder, MINOR));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a <code>Version</code> from given <var>value</var>.
+     * 
+     * @param value an example: <code>2.3</code>.
+     * @return <code>null</code> if operation fails.
+     */
+    public final static Version createVersionFromString(final String value)
+    {
+        assert value != null : "Given value can not be null.";
+        final int index = value.indexOf(".");
+        if (index > -1)
+        {
+            final String strMajor = value.substring(0, index);
+            final String strMinor = value.substring(index + 1);
+            try
+            {
+                return new Version(Integer.parseInt(strMajor), Integer.parseInt(strMinor));
+            } catch (NumberFormatException ex)
+            {
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     private final int major;
 
     private final int minor;
diff --git a/bds/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/FormatTest.java b/bds/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/FormatTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..4125fae934aa60df6025de4bbdda986db85d745a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bds/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/FormatTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007 ETH Zuerich, CISD
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package ch.systemsx.cisd.bds;
+
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+import static org.testng.AssertJUnit.*;
+
+/**
+ * Test cases for corresponding {@link Format} class.
+ * 
+ * @author Christian Ribeaud
+ */
+public final class FormatTest
+{
+
+    @Test
+    public final void testCreateFormatFromString()
+    {
+        final Format format = Format.createFormatFromString("UNKNOWN [A] V1.2");
+        final Version version = format.getVersion();
+        assertEquals(1, version.getMajor());
+        assertEquals(2, version.getMinor());
+        assertEquals("A", format.getVariant());
+        assertEquals("UNKNOWN", format.getCode());
+    }
+}