diff --git a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp
index 10a2bea4..d7a138d3 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp
+++ b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,26 @@ eoParser::eoParser ( unsigned _argc, char **_argv , string _programDescription,
     processParam(needHelp);
 }
 
+/** 
+ * get a handle on a param from its longName
+ * 
+ * if not found, returns 0 (null pointer :-)
+ *
+ * Not very clean (requires hard-coding of the long name twice!)
+ * but very useful in many occasions...
+ */
+eoParam* eoParser::getParamWithLongName(std::string _name)
+{
+  typedef std::multimap<std::string, eoParam*> MultiMapType;
+  typedef MultiMapType::const_iterator It;
+  for (It p = params.begin(); p != params.end(); ++p)
+    {
+      if (p->second->longName() == _name)
+	return p->second;
+    }
+  return 0;
+}
+
 void eoParser::processParam(eoParam& param, std::string section)
 {
     doRegisterParam(param); // plainly register it
diff --git a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h
index f95956de..52ef152b 100644
--- a/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h
+++ b/eo/src/utils/eoParser.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  */
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /**
-CVS Info: $Date: 2001-04-10 15:08:09 $ $Version$ $Author: evomarc $
+CVS Info: $Date: 2001-11-05 16:38:51 $ $Version$ $Author: evomarc $
 */
 #ifndef eoParser_h
 #define eoParser_h
@@ -149,6 +149,16 @@ public:
   virtual bool isItThere(eoParam& _param) const 
   { return getValue(_param).first; }
 
+/** 
+ * get a handle on a param from its longName
+ * 
+ * if not found, returns 0 (null pointer :-)
+ *
+ * Not very clean (requires hard-coding of the long name twice!)
+ * but very useful in many occasions...
+ */
+  eoParam* getParamWithLongName(std::string _name);
+
 private:
   
   void doRegisterParam(eoParam& param) const;