diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java
index fe35444a1590d92a340d8ed042eb4893111d8ffa..bacac1b89dc89ffee443d3498be8fcf51f130af5 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Utilities.java
@@ -22,12 +22,19 @@ import ch.systemsx.cisd.bds.storage.INode;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.exceptions.UserFailureException;
 
 /**
- * 
+ * Storage utility methods.
  *
  * @author Franz-Josef Elmer
  */
 public class Utilities
 {
+    /**
+     * Returns a subdirectory from the specified directory.
+     * 
+     * @param directory Parent directory of the requested directory.
+     * @param name Name of the requested directory.
+     * @throws UserFailureException if requested directory not found.
+     */
     public static IDirectory getSubDirectory(IDirectory directory, String name)
     {
         INode node = directory.getNode(name);
@@ -38,11 +45,21 @@ public class Utilities
         return (IDirectory) node;
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Convenient short cut for <code>{@link #getString(IDirectory, String)}.trim()</code>.
+     */
     public static String getTrimmedString(IDirectory directory, String name)
     {
         return getString(directory, name).trim();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the string content of a file from the specified directory.
+     * 
+     * @param directory Directory of the requested file.
+     * @param name Name of the file.
+     * @throws UserFailureException if the requested file does not exist. 
+     */
     public static String getString(IDirectory directory, String name)
     {
         INode node = directory.getNode(name);
@@ -58,4 +75,8 @@ public class Utilities
         return file.getStringContent();
     }
     
+    private Utilities()
+    {
+    }
+    
 }
diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java
index 3a3eb319295865ae6fa94134d6e53fd0ae1b852a..e71459aa7c281016b8b6429350308faab7110ccc 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/Version.java
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ public final class Version
     private static final String MAJOR = "major";
     private static final String MINOR = "minor";
     
+    /**
+     * Loads the version from the specified directory.
+     */
     public static Version loadFrom(IDirectory directory)
     {
         IDirectory versionFolder = Utilities.getSubDirectory(directory, VERSION);