diff --git a/lib/gen_cmd.py b/lib/gen_cmd.py
index cef6328..b5c5341 100644
--- a/lib/gen_cmd.py
+++ b/lib/gen_cmd.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import sys
 import subprocess
+import collections
 
 robot_env = 1
 try:
@@ -112,3 +113,107 @@
                    print_output=print_output, show_err=show_err)
 
 ###############################################################################
+
+
+###############################################################################
+def parse_command_string(command_string):
+
+    r"""
+    Parse a bash command-line command string and return the result as a
+    dictionary of parms.
+
+    This can be useful for answering questions like "What did the user specify
+    as the value for parm x in the command string?".
+
+    This function expects the command string to follow the following posix
+    conventions:
+    - Short parameters:
+      -<parm name><space><arg value>
+    - Long parameters:
+      --<parm name>=<arg value>
+
+    The first item in the string will be considered to be the command.  All
+    values not conforming to the specifications above will be considered
+    positional parms.  If there are multiple parms with the same name, they
+    will be put into a list (see illustration below where "-v" is specified
+    multiple times).
+
+    Description of argument(s):
+    command_string                  The complete command string including all
+                                    parameters and arguments.
+
+    Sample input:
+
+    robot_cmd_buf:                                    robot -v
+    OPENBMC_HOST:dummy1 -v keyword_string:'Set Auto Reboot  no' -v
+    lib_file_path:/home/user1/git/openbmc-test-automation/lib/utils.robot -v
+    quiet:0 -v test_mode:0 -v debug:0
+    --outputdir='/home/user1/status/children/'
+    --output=dummy1.Auto_reboot.170802.124544.output.xml
+    --log=dummy1.Auto_reboot.170802.124544.log.html
+    --report=dummy1.Auto_reboot.170802.124544.report.html
+    /home/user1/git/openbmc-test-automation/extended/run_keyword.robot
+
+    Sample output:
+
+    robot_cmd_buf_dict:
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[command]:                    robot
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[v]:
+        robot_cmd_buf_dict[v][0]:                     OPENBMC_HOST:dummy1
+        robot_cmd_buf_dict[v][1]:                     keyword_string:Set Auto
+        Reboot no
+        robot_cmd_buf_dict[v][2]:
+        lib_file_path:/home/user1/git/openbmc-test-automation/lib/utils.robot
+        robot_cmd_buf_dict[v][3]:                     quiet:0
+        robot_cmd_buf_dict[v][4]:                     test_mode:0
+        robot_cmd_buf_dict[v][5]:                     debug:0
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[outputdir]:
+      /home/user1/status/children/
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[output]:
+      dummy1.Auto_reboot.170802.124544.output.xml
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[log]:
+      dummy1.Auto_reboot.170802.124544.log.html
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[report]:
+      dummy1.Auto_reboot.170802.124544.report.html
+      robot_cmd_buf_dict[positional]:
+      /home/user1/git/openbmc-test-automation/extended/run_keyword.robot
+    """
+
+    # We want the parms in the string broken down the way bash would do it,
+    # so we'll call upon bash to do that by creating a simple inline bash
+    # function.
+    bash_func_def = "function parse { for parm in \"${@}\" ; do" +\
+        " echo $parm ; done ; }"
+
+    rc, outbuf = cmd_fnc_u(bash_func_def + " ; parse " + command_string,
+                           quiet=1, print_output=0)
+    command_string_list = outbuf.rstrip("\n").split("\n")
+
+    command_string_dict = collections.OrderedDict()
+    ix = 1
+    command_string_dict['command'] = command_string_list[0]
+    while ix < len(command_string_list):
+        if command_string_list[ix].startswith("--"):
+            key, value = command_string_list[ix].split("=")
+            key = key.lstrip("-")
+        elif command_string_list[ix].startswith("-"):
+            key = command_string_list[ix].lstrip("-")
+            ix += 1
+            try:
+                value = command_string_list[ix]
+            except IndexError:
+                value = ""
+        else:
+            key = 'positional'
+            value = command_string_list[ix]
+        if key in command_string_dict:
+            if type(command_string_dict[key]) is str:
+                command_string_dict[key] = [command_string_dict[key]]
+            command_string_dict[key].append(value)
+        else:
+            command_string_dict[key] = value
+        ix += 1
+
+    return command_string_dict
+
+###############################################################################