--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.api.meta/src/com/oracle/graal/api/meta/JavaField.java	Thu Jul 10 22:44:38 2014 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.api.meta/src/com/oracle/graal/api/meta/JavaField.java	Thu Jul 10 22:48:44 2014 +0200
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
  */
 package com.oracle.graal.api.meta;
 
+import java.util.*;
+
 /**
  * Represents a reference to a Java field, either resolved or unresolved fields. Fields, like
  * methods and types, are resolved through {@link ConstantPool constant pools}.
@@ -49,4 +51,77 @@
      * field.
      */
     JavaType getDeclaringClass();
+
+    /**
+     * Gets a string for this field formatted according to a given format specification. A format
+     * specification is composed of characters that are to be copied verbatim to the result and
+     * specifiers that denote an attribute of this field that is to be copied to the result. A
+     * specifier is a single character preceded by a '%' character. The accepted specifiers and the
+     * field attributes they denote are described below:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     *     Specifier | Description                                          | Example(s)
+     *     ----------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+     *     'T'       | Qualified type                                       | "int" "java.lang.String"
+     *     't'       | Unqualified type                                     | "int" "String"
+     *     'H'       | Qualified holder                                     | "java.util.Map.Entry"
+     *     'h'       | Unqualified holder                                   | "Entry"
+     *     'n'       | Field name                                           | "age"
+     *     'f'       | Indicator if field is unresolved, static or instance | "unresolved" "static" "instance"
+     *     '%'       | A '%' character                                      | "%"
+     * </pre>
+     *
+     * @param format a format specification
+     * @return the result of formatting this field according to {@code format}
+     * @throws IllegalFormatException if an illegal specifier is encountered in {@code format}
+     */
+    default String format(String format) throws IllegalFormatException {
+        final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        int index = 0;
+        JavaType type = getType();
+        while (index < format.length()) {
+            final char ch = format.charAt(index++);
+            if (ch == '%') {
+                if (index >= format.length()) {
+                    throw new UnknownFormatConversionException("An unquoted '%' character cannot terminate a field format specification");
+                }
+                final char specifier = format.charAt(index++);
+                boolean qualified = false;
+                switch (specifier) {
+                    case 'T':
+                        qualified = true;
+                        // fall through
+                    case 't': {
+                        sb.append(type.toJavaName(qualified));
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    case 'H':
+                        qualified = true;
+                        // fall through
+                    case 'h': {
+                        sb.append(getDeclaringClass().toJavaName(qualified));
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    case 'n': {
+                        sb.append(getName());
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    case 'f': {
+                        sb.append(!(this instanceof ResolvedJavaField) ? "unresolved" : ((ResolvedJavaField) this).isStatic() ? "static" : "instance");
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    case '%': {
+                        sb.append('%');
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    default: {
+                        throw new UnknownFormatConversionException(String.valueOf(specifier));
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                sb.append(ch);
+            }
+        }
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
 }