diff --git a/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php b/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..96a02420295
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * A class to format help for console shells.  Can format to either
+ * text or XML formats
+ *
+ * PHP 5
+ *
+ * CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (http://cakephp.org)
+ * Copyright 2005-2010, Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ *
+ * Licensed under The MIT License
+ * Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
+ *
+ * @copyright     Copyright 2005-2010, Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ * @link          http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
+ * @package       cake
+ * @subpackage    cake.cake.console
+ * @since         CakePHP(tm) v 2.0
+ * @license       MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
+ */
+class HelpFormatter {
+/**
+ * Build the help formatter for a an OptionParser
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function __construct(ConsoleOptionParser $parser) {
+		$this->_parser = $parser;
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Get the help as text.
+ *
+ * @return string
+ */
+	public function text() {
+		
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Get the help as an xml string.
+ *
+ * @return string
+ */
+	public function xml() {
+		
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..06a24d96cfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+<?php
+
+require_once CONSOLE_LIBS . 'console_option_parser.php';
+require_once CONSOLE_LIBS . 'help_formatter.php';
+
+class HelpFormatterTest extends CakeTestCase {
+
+/**
+ * test that the console max width is respected when generating help.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testWidthFormatting() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('test', false);
+		$parser->description(__('This is fifteen This is fifteen This is fifteen'))
+			->addOption('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'))
+			->addArgument('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'))
+			->addSubcommand('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'));
+		$result = $parser->help(null, 30);
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+This is fifteen This is
+fifteen This is fifteen
+
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake test [subcommand] [-h] [--four] [<four>]
+
+<info>Subcommands:</info>
+
+four  this is help text this
+      is help text
+
+To see help on a subcommand use <info>`cake test [subcommand] --help`</info>
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h  Display this help.
+--four      this is help text
+            this is help text
+
+<info>Arguments:</info>
+
+four  this is help text this
+      is help text
+      <comment>(optional)</comment>
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Generated help is too wide');
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test help() with options and arguments that have choices.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHelpWithChoices() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
+		$parser->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.', 'choices' => array('one', 'two')))
+			->addArgument('type', array(
+				'help' => 'Resource type.',
+				'choices' => array('aco', 'aro'),
+				'required' => true
+			))
+			->addArgument('other_longer', array('help' => 'Another argument.'));
+
+		$result = $parser->help();
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake mycommand [-h] [--test one|two] <aco|aro> [<other_longer>]
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h  Display this help.
+--test      A test option. <comment>(choices: one|two)</comment>
+
+<info>Arguments:</info>
+
+type          Resource type. <comment>(choices: aco|aro)</comment>
+other_longer  Another argument. <comment>(optional)</comment>
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help does not match');
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test description and epilog in the help
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHelpDescriptionAndEpilog() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
+		$parser->description('Description text')
+			->epilog('epilog text')
+			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
+			->addArgument('model', array('help' => 'The model to make.', 'required' => true));
+
+		$result = $parser->help();
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+Description text
+
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake mycommand [-h] [--test] <model>
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h  Display this help.
+--test      A test option.
+
+<info>Arguments:</info>
+
+model  The model to make.
+
+epilog text
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is wrong.');
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test that help() outputs subcommands.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHelpSubcommand() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
+		$parser->addSubcommand('method', array('help' => 'This is another command'))
+			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'));
+
+		$result = $parser->help();
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake mycommand [subcommand] [-h] [--test]
+
+<info>Subcommands:</info>
+
+method  This is another command
+
+To see help on a subcommand use <info>`cake mycommand [subcommand] --help`</info>
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h  Display this help.
+--test      A test option.
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is not correct.');
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test that help() with a command param shows the help for a subcommand
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHelpSubcommandHelp() {
+		$subParser = new ConsoleOptionParser('method', false);
+		$subParser->addOption('connection', array('help' => 'Db connection.'));
+
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
+		$parser->addSubcommand('method', array(
+				'help' => 'This is another command',
+				'parser' => $subParser
+			))
+			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'));
+
+		$result = $parser->help('method');
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake mycommand method [-h] [--connection]
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h        Display this help.
+--connection      Db connection.
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is not correct.');
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test getting help with defined options.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHelpWithOptions() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
+		$parser->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
+			->addOption('connection', array(
+				'short' => 'c', 'help' => 'The connection to use.', 'default' => 'default'
+			));
+
+		$result = $parser->help();
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake mycommand [-h] [--test] [-c default]
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h        Display this help.
+--test            A test option.
+--connection, -c  The connection to use. <comment>(default:
+                  default)</comment>
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help does not match');
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test getting help with defined options.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHelpWithOptionsAndArguments() {
+		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
+		$parser->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
+			->addArgument('model', array('help' => 'The model to make.', 'required' => true))
+			->addArgument('other_longer', array('help' => 'Another argument.'));
+
+		$result = $parser->help();
+		$expected = <<<TEXT
+<info>Usage:</info>
+cake mycommand [-h] [--test] <model> [<other_longer>]
+
+<info>Options:</info>
+
+--help, -h  Display this help.
+--test      A test option.
+
+<info>Arguments:</info>
+
+model         The model to make.
+other_longer  Another argument. <comment>(optional)</comment>
+
+TEXT;
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help does not match');
+	}
+}