diff --git a/include/osgDB/Archive b/include/osgDB/Archive
index 98b8701ee..bed3bf6ad 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/Archive
+++ b/include/osgDB/Archive
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <osgDB/ReaderWriter>
 #include <osgDB/Registry>
+#include <osgDB/FileUtils>
 
 #include <fstream>
 #include <list>
@@ -35,20 +36,31 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Archive : public ReaderWriter
         virtual const char* className() const { return "Archive"; }
 
         virtual bool acceptsExtension(const std::string& /*extension*/) const { return true; }
-        
+
         /** close the archive.*/
         virtual void close() = 0;
 
-        /** return true if file exists in archive.*/        
-        virtual bool fileExists(const std::string& filename) const = 0;
-        
+        /** Get the file name which represents the archived file.*/
+        virtual std::string getArchiveFileName() const = 0;
+
         /** Get the file name which represents the master file recorded in the Archive.*/
         virtual std::string getMasterFileName() const = 0;
-        
-        typedef std::vector<std::string> FileNameList;
-        
+
+        /** return true if file exists in archive.*/
+        virtual bool fileExists(const std::string& filename) const = 0;
+
+        /** return type of file. */
+        virtual FileType getFileType(const std::string& filename) const = 0;
+
+        typedef osgDB::DirectoryContents FileNameList;
+
         /** Get the full list of file names available in the archive.*/
-        virtual bool getFileNames(FileNameList& fileNameList) const = 0;
+        virtual bool getFileNames(FileNameList& fileNames) const = 0;
+
+        /** return the contents of a directory.
+          * returns an empty array on any error.*/
+        virtual DirectoryContents getDirectoryContents(const std::string& dirName) const = 0;
+
 
         virtual ReadResult readObject(const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options* =NULL) const = 0;
         virtual ReadResult readImage(const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options* =NULL) const = 0;
@@ -59,8 +71,6 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Archive : public ReaderWriter
         virtual WriteResult writeImage(const osg::Image& /*image*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options* =NULL) const = 0;
         virtual WriteResult writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& /*heightField*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options* =NULL) const = 0;
         virtual WriteResult writeNode(const osg::Node& /*node*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options* =NULL) const = 0;
-           
-
 
 };
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.cpp
index 192ca2b09..49881c48a 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ bool OSGA_Archive::open(const std::string& filename, ArchiveStatus status, unsig
 {
     SERIALIZER();
 
+    _archiveFileName = filename;
+
     if (status==READ)
     {
         _status = status;
@@ -413,6 +415,8 @@ bool OSGA_Archive::open(std::istream& fin)
 {
     SERIALIZER();
 
+    _archiveFileName = "";
+
     OSG_NOTICE<<"OSGA_Archive::open"<<std::endl;
     static_cast<std::istream&>(_input).rdbuf(fin.rdbuf());
     return _open(_input);
@@ -499,6 +503,12 @@ std::string OSGA_Archive::getMasterFileName() const
     return _masterFileName;
 }
 
+osgDB::FileType OSGA_Archive::getFileType(const std::string& filename) const
+{
+    if (_indexMap.count(filename)!=0) return osgDB::REGULAR_FILE;
+    return osgDB::FILE_NOT_FOUND;
+}
+
 bool OSGA_Archive::getFileNames(FileNameList& fileNameList) const
 {
     SERIALIZER();
@@ -514,6 +524,50 @@ bool OSGA_Archive::getFileNames(FileNameList& fileNameList) const
     return !fileNameList.empty();
 }
 
+osgDB::DirectoryContents OSGA_Archive::getDirectoryContents(const std::string& dirName) const
+{
+    osgDB::DirectoryContents files;
+    for(FileNamePositionMap::const_iterator itr=_indexMap.begin();
+        itr!=_indexMap.end();
+        ++itr)
+    {
+        const std::string& filename = itr->first;
+        if (filename.size()>dirName.size())
+        {
+            // check for match of directory name while accounting for potential
+            // differences in types of slashes
+            unsigned int i=0;
+            for(; i<dirName.size(); ++i)
+            {
+                char f = filename[i];
+                char d = dirName[i];
+                if (f=='\\') f='/';
+                if (d=='\\') d='/';
+                if (f!=d) break;
+            }
+
+            if (i==dirName.size())
+            {
+                // directory name matched, but need to make sure a trailing filename exists
+                // and to skip over any immediate slashes
+                char f = filename[i];
+
+                // check for slash
+                if (f=='\\' || f=='/')
+                {
+                    // found slash, now need to skip over it.
+                    ++i;
+                    if (i<filename.size())
+                    {
+                        // still have charaters left after slash which respresent the filename
+                        files.push_back(filename.substr(i));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return files;
+}
 
 void OSGA_Archive::writeIndexBlocks()
 {
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.h b/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.h
index 04aa0aa3c..a8eae332d 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osga/OSGA_Archive.h
@@ -44,17 +44,26 @@ class OSGA_Archive : public osgDB::Archive
         /** close the archive.*/
         virtual void close();
 
-        /** return true if file exists in archive.*/        
-        virtual bool fileExists(const std::string& filename) const;
+        /** Get the file name which represents the archived file.*/
+        virtual std::string getArchiveFileName() const { return _archiveFileName; }
         
         /** Get the file name which represents the master file recorded in the Archive.*/
         virtual std::string getMasterFileName() const;
         
-        typedef std::vector<std::string> FileNameList;
-        
+        /** return true if file exists in archive.*/
+        virtual bool fileExists(const std::string& filename) const;
+
+        /** return type of file. */
+        virtual osgDB::FileType getFileType(const std::string& filename) const;
+
         /** Get the full list of file names available in the archive.*/
         virtual bool getFileNames(FileNameList& fileNameList) const;
 
+        /** return the contents of a directory.
+          * returns an empty array on any error.*/
+        virtual osgDB::DirectoryContents getDirectoryContents(const std::string& dirName) const;
+
+
 
         /** Read an osg::Object of specified file name from the Archive.*/
         virtual ReadResult readObject(const std::string& fileName,const Options* options=NULL) const;
@@ -206,7 +215,8 @@ class OSGA_Archive : public osgDB::Archive
         ArchiveStatus       _status;
         osgDB::ifstream     _input;
         osgDB::fstream      _output;
-        
+
+        std::string         _archiveFileName;
         std::string         _masterFileName;
         IndexBlockList      _indexBlockList;
         FileNamePositionMap _indexMap;