diff --git a/utility.c b/utility.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ad3529
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utility.c
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#include<stdio.h>
+#include<string.h>
+#include<stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "utility.h"
+
+
+char * getLocalTimeStamp(void)
+{
+	char *timestamp = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * 16);
+	time_t ltime;
+	ltime=time(NULL);
+	struct tm *tm;
+	tm=localtime(&ltime);
+  
+	sprintf(timestamp, "%04d%02d%02d%02d%02d%02d", tm->tm_year+1900, tm->tm_mon+1, 
+		tm->tm_mday, tm->tm_hour, tm->tm_min, tm->tm_sec);
+
+	return timestamp;
+}
+
+char * 
+nth_named_component(const char *name_prefix, int n)
+{
+
+	int i;
+	char * seps="/";
+	char *rem=NULL;
+	char *component;
+
+	char *prefix=(char *)malloc(strlen(name_prefix)+1);
+	memcpy(prefix,name_prefix,strlen(name_prefix)+1);
+
+	component=strtok_r(prefix,seps,&rem);
+
+	for(i=1;i<n;i++)
+		component=strtok_r(NULL,seps,&rem);
+
+	return component;
+
+
+
+}