diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index ae41a15e8..de6d4efb9 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -655,6 +655,7 @@ int characters (const std::string& str)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Truncates a long line, and include a two-character ellipsis.
 std::string cutOff (const std::string& str, std::string::size_type len)
 {
   if (str.length () > len)
@@ -715,3 +716,15 @@ std::string format (double value, int width, int precision)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+std::string leftJustify (const std::string& input, const int width)
+{
+  return input + std::string (width - input.length (), ' ');
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+std::string rightJustify (const std::string& input, const int width)
+{
+  return std::string (width - input.length (), ' ') + input;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index fe6ceb526..20a287a88 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ std::string format (int);
 std::string formatHex (int);
 std::string format (float, int, int);
 std::string format (double, int, int);
+std::string leftJustify (const std::string&, const int);
+std::string rightJustify (const std::string&, const int);
 
 // UTF-8 aware.
 int characters (const std::string&);
diff --git a/test/text.t.cpp b/test/text.t.cpp
index 23d0e4490..e6e3c33c2 100644
--- a/test/text.t.cpp
+++ b/test/text.t.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Context context;
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
-  UnitTest t (208);
+  UnitTest t (214);
 
   // void wrapText (std::vector <std::string>& lines, const std::string& text, const int width)
   std::string text = "This is a test of the line wrapping code.";
@@ -416,6 +416,16 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 
   // std::string format (double, int, int);
 
+  // std::string leftJustify (const std::string&, const int);
+  t.is (leftJustify ("foo", 3), "foo",   "leftJustify foo,3 -> 'foo'");
+  t.is (leftJustify ("foo", 4), "foo ",  "leftJustify foo,4 -> 'foo '");
+  t.is (leftJustify ("foo", 5), "foo  ", "leftJustify foo,5 -> 'foo  '");
+
+  // std::string rightJustify (const std::string&, const int);
+  t.is (rightJustify ("foo", 3), "foo",   "rightJustify foo,3 -> 'foo'");
+  t.is (rightJustify ("foo", 4), " foo",  "rightJustify foo,4 -> ' foo'");
+  t.is (rightJustify ("foo", 5), "  foo", "rightJustify foo,5 -> '  foo'");
+
   return 0;
 }