Index: /home/andy/work/jdo/trunk/api2/src/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelper.java
===================================================================
--- /home/andy/work/jdo/trunk/api2/src/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelper.java	(revision 576057)
+++ /home/andy/work/jdo/trunk/api2/src/java/javax/jdo/JDOHelper.java	(working copy)
@@ -1737,4 +1737,68 @@
             }
         );
     }
+
+    /** Accessor for the state of the passed object.
+     * @param pc The object
+     * @return The object state
+     * @since 2.1
+     */
+    public static ObjectState getObjectState(Object pc) {
+        if (pc == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (isDetached(pc)) {
+            // Detached
+            if (isDirty(pc)) {
+                return ObjectState.DETACHED_DIRTY;
+            }
+            else {
+                return ObjectState.DETACHED_CLEAN;
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            if (isPersistent(pc)) {
+                // Persistent
+                if (isTransactional(pc)) {
+                    // Transactional
+                    if (isDirty(pc) && !isNew(pc) && !isDeleted(pc)) {
+                        return ObjectState.PERSISTENT_DIRTY;
+                    }
+                    else if (!isNew(pc) && !isDirty(pc) && !isDeleted(pc)) {
+                        return ObjectState.PERSISTENT_CLEAN;
+                    }
+                    else if (isNew(pc) && isDirty(pc) && !isDeleted(pc)) {
+                        return ObjectState.PERSISTENT_NEW;
+                    }
+                    else if (isNew(pc) && isDirty(pc) && isDeleted(pc)) {
+                        return ObjectState.PERSISTENT_NEW_DELETED;
+                    }
+                    else if (!isNew(pc) && isDirty(pc) && isDeleted(pc)) {
+                        return ObjectState.PERSISTENT_DELETED;
+                    }
+                }
+                else {
+                    // Nontransactional
+                    if (isDirty(pc)) {
+                        return ObjectState.PERSISTENT_NONTRANSACTIONAL_DIRTY;
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        return ObjectState.HOLLOW_PERSISTENT_NONTRANSACTIONAL;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            else {
+                // Transient
+                if (isDirty(pc) && isTransactional(pc)) {
+                    return ObjectState.TRANSIENT_DIRTY;
+                }
+                else if (!isDirty(pc) && isTransactional(pc)) {
+                    return ObjectState.TRANSIENT_CLEAN;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return ObjectState.TRANSIENT;
+    }
 }