diff --git a/lib/treetop/compiler/grammar_compiler.rb b/lib/treetop/compiler/grammar_compiler.rb
index 7c5ae91..2683e6a 100755
--- a/lib/treetop/compiler/grammar_compiler.rb
+++ b/lib/treetop/compiler/grammar_compiler.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@ def compile(source_path, target_path = source_path.gsub(/\.(treetop|tt)\Z/, '.rb
         end
       end
 
-      # compile a string containing treetop source
+      # compile a treetop file into ruby
+      def ruby_source(source_path)
+        ruby_source_string(File.read(source_path))
+      end
+
+      # compile a string containing treetop source into ruby
       def ruby_source_string(s)
         parser = MetagrammarParser.new
         result = parser.parse(s)
diff --git a/spec/compiler/grammar_compiler_spec.rb b/spec/compiler/grammar_compiler_spec.rb
index b9b591f..10f5070 100755
--- a/spec/compiler/grammar_compiler_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/compiler/grammar_compiler_spec.rb
@@ -39,6 +39,15 @@
   specify "compilation of a single file without writing it to an output file" do
     compiler.ruby_source(source_path_with_treetop_extension).should_not be_nil
   end
+  
+  specify "ruby_source_string compiles a grammar stored in string" do
+    compiler.ruby_source_string(File.read(source_path_with_treetop_extension)).should_not be_nil
+  end
+
+  specify "Treetop.load_string compiles and evaluates a source grammar stored in string" do
+    Treetop.load_string File.read(source_path_with_treetop_extension)
+    Test::GrammarParser.new.parse('foo').should_not be_nil
+  end
 
   specify "Treetop.load compiles and evaluates a source grammar with a .treetop extension" do    
     Treetop.load source_path_with_treetop_extension