diff --git a/ivy/DependencyBuilders.scala b/ivy/DependencyBuilders.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00168d7c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ivy/DependencyBuilders.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/* sbt -- Simple Build Tool
+ * Copyright 2009,2010  Mark Harrah
+ */
+package sbt
+package impl
+
+	import StringUtilities.{appendable,nonEmpty}
+
+trait DependencyBuilders
+{
+	final implicit def toGroupID(groupID: String): GroupID =
+	{
+		nonEmpty(groupID, "Group ID")
+		new GroupID(groupID)
+	}
+	final implicit def toRepositoryName(name: String): RepositoryName =
+	{
+		nonEmpty(name, "Repository name")
+		new RepositoryName(name)
+	}
+	final implicit def moduleIDConfigurable(m: ModuleID): ModuleIDConfigurable =
+	{
+		require(m.configurations.isEmpty, "Configurations already specified for module " + m)
+		new ModuleIDConfigurable(m)
+	}
+}
+
+final class GroupID private[sbt] (groupID: String)
+{
+	def % (artifactID: String) = groupArtifact(artifactID, false)
+	def %% (artifactID: String) = groupArtifact(artifactID, true)
+	private def groupArtifact(artifactID: String, cross: Boolean) =
+	{
+		nonEmpty(artifactID, "Artifact ID")
+		new GroupArtifactID(groupID, artifactID, cross)
+	}
+}
+final class GroupArtifactID private[sbt] (groupID: String, artifactID: String, crossVersion: Boolean)
+{	
+	def % (revision: String): ModuleID =
+	{
+		nonEmpty(revision, "Revision")
+		ModuleID(groupID, artifactID, revision).cross(crossVersion)
+	}
+}
+final class ModuleIDConfigurable private[sbt] (moduleID: ModuleID)
+{
+	def % (configurations: String): ModuleID =
+	{
+		nonEmpty(configurations, "Configurations")
+		val c = configurations
+		moduleID.copy(configurations = Some(c))
+	}
+}
+final class RepositoryName private[sbt] (name: String)
+{
+	def at (location: String) =
+	{
+		nonEmpty(location, "Repository location")
+		new MavenRepository(name, location)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ivy/StringUtilities.scala b/ivy/StringUtilities.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a0075bb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ivy/StringUtilities.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/* sbt -- Simple Build Tool
+ * Copyright 2009  Mark Harrah
+ */
+package sbt
+
+object StringUtilities
+{
+	def normalize(s: String) = s.toLowerCase.replaceAll("""\s+""", "-")
+	def nonEmpty(s: String, label: String)
+	{
+		require(s.trim.length > 0, label + " cannot be empty.")
+	}
+	def appendable(s: String) = if(s.isEmpty) "" else "_" + s
+}