diff --git a/Source/Coder.m b/Source/Coder.m
index 5eaa6325e..0fdfc971c 100644
--- a/Source/Coder.m
+++ b/Source/Coder.m
@@ -225,6 +225,13 @@ my_object_is_class(id object)
 	       formatVersion: DEFAULT_FORMAT_VERSION];
 }
 
+- initForReadingFromFile: (id <String>) filename
+{
+  return [self initForReadingFromStream: 
+		 [StdioStream streamWithFilename: filename
+			      fmode: "r"]];
+}
+
 - initForWritingToStream: (id <Streaming>) s
 	   formatVersion: (int) version
 {
@@ -242,6 +249,13 @@ my_object_is_class(id object)
 	       formatVersion: DEFAULT_FORMAT_VERSION];
 }
 
+- initForWritingToFile: (id <String>) filename
+{
+  return [self initForWritingToStream: 
+		 [StdioStream streamWithFilename: filename
+			      fmode: "w"]];
+}
+
 + coderWritingToStream: (id <Streaming>)s
 {
   return [[[self alloc] initForWritingToStream: s]
@@ -1158,6 +1172,18 @@ exc_return_null(arglist_t f)
     }
 }
 
+/* We must separate the idea of "closing" a coder and "deallocating"
+   a coder because of delays in deallocation due to -autorelease. */
+- (void) closeCoder
+{
+  [[cstream stream] closeStream];
+}
+
+- (BOOL) isClosed
+{
+  return [[cstream stream] isClosed];
+}
+
 - (void) dealloc
 {
   /* xxx No. [self _finishDecodeRootObject]; */