--- a/common/portpath.c	Tue Mar 25 12:54:47 2014 +0100
+++ b/common/portpath.c	Tue Mar 25 13:08:59 2014 +0100
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 
 char *
@@ -31,3 +34,21 @@
   return _fullpath(NULL, path, 0);
 #endif
 }
+
+bool
+port_fileexits(char *path)
+{
+  int ret;
+#ifndef _WIN32
+  struct stat sb;
+  ret = stat(path, &sb);
+#else
+  struct _stat sb;
+  ret = _stat(path, &sb);
+#endif
+
+  if (ret == 0)
+    return true;
+  else
+    return false;
+}

--- a/common/portpath.h	Tue Mar 25 12:54:47 2014 +0100
+++ b/common/portpath.h	Tue Mar 25 13:08:59 2014 +0100
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef PORTPATH_H
 #define PORTPATH_H
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
 /**
  * @file  portpath.h
  * @brief Platform independent functions for file and path handling.
@@ -28,4 +30,13 @@
  */
 char *port_realpath(char *path);
 
+/**
+ * @brief test if a file exists
+ * @details uses a platform specific stat call to test if the given
+ * file exists.
+ * @param[in] path the path to the file
+ * @returns true if the file exists and false otherwise
+ */
+bool port_fileexits(char *path);
+
 #endif