diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/ByteBuffer.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/ByteBuffer.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9a329db46bed4679ba89f95a553f6b05a08ff7cc
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+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/ByteBuffer.java
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+/* ByteBuffer.java
+ *
+ * created: 2005
+ *
+ * This file is part of Artemis
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2005  Genome Research Limited
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+ *
+ */
+
+package uk.ac.sanger.artemis.util;
+
+/**
+*
+* Buffer for appending to a byte array.
+*
+*/
+public class ByteBuffer
+{
+
+  private byte buff[];
+  private static int byteCapacity = 128;
+  private int count = 0;
+
+  /** 
+  * Creates new ByteBuffer
+  */
+  public ByteBuffer() 
+  {
+  }
+ 
+  public int size()
+  {
+    return count;
+  }
+   
+  /**
+  * Appends the subarray of the <CODE>byte</CODE> array. 
+  * @param b the array to be appended
+  * @param off the offset to the start of the array
+  * @param len the length of bytes to append
+  * @return a reference to this <CODE>ByteBuffer</CODE> object
+  */
+  public void append(byte b[], int off, int len) 
+  {
+    int newcount = count + len;
+
+    if(buff == null || newcount > buff.length) 
+    {
+      if(buff == null)
+      {
+        byteCapacity = newcount;
+        buff = new byte[byteCapacity];
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        byteCapacity = Math.max(buff.length << 1, newcount);
+        byte newbuff[] = new byte[byteCapacity];
+        System.arraycopy(buff, 0, newbuff, 0, count);
+        buff = newbuff;
+      }
+    }
+    System.arraycopy(b, off, buff, count, len);
+
+    count = newcount;
+  }
+
+  /**
+  * Appends the byte array to the end of the buffer.
+  */
+  public void append(byte b[])
+  {
+    append(b, 0, b.length);
+  }
+
+  /**
+  * Convert the string to a byte array and appends 
+  * to the end of the buffer.
+  */
+  public void append(String s)
+  {
+    byte b[] = s.getBytes();
+    append(b);
+  }
+
+  /**
+  * Appends the ByteBuffer to the end of the buffer.
+  */
+  public void append(ByteBuffer newbuff)
+  {
+    append(newbuff.getBytes());
+  }
+
+  /**
+  * Get the byte[] that has been filled.
+  * @return the byte array
+  */
+  public byte[] getBytes()
+  { 
+    byte[] newbuff = new byte[count];
+    System.arraycopy(buff, 0, newbuff, 0, count);
+    return newbuff;
+  }
+}
+