diff --git a/Lib/emacs.py b/Lib/emacs.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ffce099ac3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/emacs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Execute Emacs code from a Python interpreter.
+# This code should be imported from a Python interpreter that is
+# running as an inferior process of Emacs.
+# See misc/py-connect.el for the companion Emacs lisp code.
+# Author: Terrence M. Brannon.
+
+start_marker = '+'
+end_marker   = '~'
+
+def eval (string):
+	tmpstr = start_marker + '(' + string + ')' + end_marker
+	print tmpstr
+
+def dired (directory):
+	eval( 'dired ' + '"' + directory + '"' )
+
+def buffer_menu ():
+	eval( 'buffer-menu(buffer-list)' )
diff --git a/Lib/posixpath.py b/Lib/posixpath.py
index b178e6728d4..d2bda1059ca 100644
--- a/Lib/posixpath.py
+++ b/Lib/posixpath.py
@@ -230,3 +230,29 @@ def expanduser(path):
 			return path
 		userhome = pwent[5]
 	return userhome + path[i:]
+
+
+# Expand paths containing shell variable substitutions.
+# This is done by piping it through the shell.
+# Shell quoting characters (\ " ' `) are protected by a backslash.
+# NB: a future version may avoid starting a subprocess and do the
+# substitutions internally.  This may slightly change the syntax
+# for variables.
+
+def expandvars(path):
+	if '$' not in path:
+		return path
+	q = ''
+	for c in path:
+		if c in ('\\', '"', '\'', '`'):
+			c = '\\' + c
+		q = q + c
+	d = '!'
+	if q == d:
+		d = '+'
+	p = posix.popen('cat <<' + d + '\n' + q + '\n' + d + '\n', 'r')
+	res = p.read()
+	del p
+	if res[-1:] == '\n':
+		res = res[:-1]
+	return res