diff --git a/sources/zweic/Position.scala b/sources/zweic/Position.scala
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..49a074b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sources/zweic/Position.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*  zweic -- a compiler for zwei
+ *
+ *  Stephane Micheloud & LAMP
+ *
+ *  $Id$
+ */
+
+package zweic;
+
+
+/** This class provides methods for encoding a location in
+ *  a source file (line/column) into a single integer.
+ */
+object Position {
+
+  /** number of bits reserved for the column.
+   */
+  val columnBits = 12;
+
+  val columnMask = (1 << columnBits) - 1;
+
+  /** undefined position
+   */
+  val UNDEFINED = 0;
+
+  /** first position in a source file
+   */
+  val FIRST = (1 << columnBits) | 1;
+
+  /** encode a line and column number into a single int
+   */
+  def encode(line: Int, col: Int): Int =
+    (line << columnBits) | (col & columnMask);
+
+  /** get the line number out of an encoded position
+   */
+  def line(pos: Int): Int =
+    pos >>> columnBits;
+
+  /** return the column number of an encoded position
+   */
+  def column(pos: Int): Int =
+    pos & columnMask;
+
+  def toString(pos: Int) = line(pos).toString() + ":" + column(pos);
+}