diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/DebugChords.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/DebugChords.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..43c2e7a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/util/DebugChords.java
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+//
+// $Id: DebugChords.java,v 1.1 2002/07/17 01:51:53 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.samskivert.util;
+
+import java.awt.KeyEventDispatcher;
+import java.awt.KeyboardFocusManager;
+import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
+import com.samskivert.Log;
+import com.samskivert.util.HashIntMap;
+import com.samskivert.util.Tuple;
+
+/**
+ * Provides a mechanism for causing code to be invoked when a particular
+ * key combination is pressed in a GUI application. The code invoked is
+ * presumed to be global debugging code; this is not a mechanism for
+ * implementing a client's normal user interface.
+ */
+public class DebugChords
+{
+    /**
+     * Provides the mechanism by which code is provided to be run when a
+     * user depresses a particular key combination.
+     */
+    public static interface Hook
+    {
+        /**
+         * Called when a key combination to which this hook is bound is
+         * invoked.
+         */
+        public void invoke ();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes the debug chords services and wires up the key event
+     * listener that will be used to invoke the bound code.
+     */
+    public static void activate ()
+    {
+        // capture low-level keyboard events via the keyboard focus manager
+        if (_dispatcher == null) {
+            _dispatcher = new KeyEventDispatcher() {
+                public boolean dispatchKeyEvent (KeyEvent e) {
+                    return DebugChords.dispatchKeyEvent(e);
+                }
+            };
+
+            KeyboardFocusManager keymgr =
+                KeyboardFocusManager.getCurrentKeyboardFocusManager();
+            keymgr.addKeyEventDispatcher(_dispatcher);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Registers the supplied debug hook to be invoked when the specified
+     * key combination is depressed.
+     *
+     * @param modifierMask a mask with bits on for all modifiers that must
+     * be present when the specified key code is received (e.g. {@link
+     * KeyEvent#CTRL_DOWN_MASK}|{@link KeyEvent#ALT_DOWN_MASK}).
+     * @param keyCode the code that identifies the normal key that must be
+     * pressed to activate the hook (e.g. {@link KeyEvent#VK_E}).
+     * @param hook the hook to be invoked when the specified key
+     * combination is received.
+     */
+    public static void registerHook (int modifierMask, int keyCode, Hook hook)
+    {
+        // store the hooks mapped by key code
+        ArrayList list = (ArrayList)_bindings.get(keyCode);
+        if (list == null) {
+            list = new ArrayList();
+            _bindings.put(keyCode, list);
+        }
+
+        // append the hook and modifier mask to the list
+        list.add(new Tuple(new Integer(modifierMask), hook));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called when the {@link KeyboardFocusManager} has a key event for us
+     * to scrutinize.  Returns whether we've handled the key event.
+     */
+    protected static boolean dispatchKeyEvent (KeyEvent e)
+    {
+        // ignore non-keypress events
+        if (e.getID() != KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // bail here if we have no hooks registered for this key code
+        ArrayList list = (ArrayList)_bindings.get(e.getKeyCode());
+        if (list == null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // scan the list of registered hooks checking for any that match
+        // the depressed set of modifier keys
+        boolean handled = false;
+        int hcount = list.size();
+        for (int ii = 0; ii < hcount; ii++) {
+            Tuple tup = (Tuple)list.get(ii);
+            int mask = ((Integer)tup.left).intValue();
+            if ((e.getModifiersEx() & mask) == mask) {
+                Hook hook = (Hook)tup.right;
+                try {
+                    hook.invoke();
+                    handled = true;
+                } catch (Throwable t) {
+                    Log.warning("Hook failed [event=" + e +
+                                ", hook=" + hook + "].");
+                    Log.logStackTrace(t);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return handled;
+    }
+
+    /** Intercepts key events and presents them to us for scrutiny. */
+    protected static KeyEventDispatcher _dispatcher;
+
+    /** A mapping from key binding to debug code. */
+    protected static HashIntMap _bindings = new HashIntMap();
+}