Index: src/java/org/apache/lucene/analysis/ASCIIFoldingFilter.java
===================================================================
--- src/java/org/apache/lucene/analysis/ASCIIFoldingFilter.java	(revision 831699)
+++ src/java/org/apache/lucene/analysis/ASCIIFoldingFilter.java	(working copy)
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@
  * 'a'.
  */
 public final class ASCIIFoldingFilter extends TokenFilter {
-  public ASCIIFoldingFilter(TokenStream input)
-  {
+  public ASCIIFoldingFilter(TokenStream input) {
     super(input);
     termAtt = addAttribute(TermAttribute.class);
   }
@@ -67,6 +66,7 @@
   private int outputPos;
   private TermAttribute termAtt;
 
+  /** {@inheritDoc} */
   @Override
   public boolean incrementToken() throws IOException {
     if (input.incrementToken()) {
@@ -77,8 +77,7 @@
       // just return token as-is:
       for(int i = 0 ; i < length ; ++i) {
         final char c = buffer[i];
-        if (c >= '\u0080')
-        {
+        if (c >= '\u0080') {
           foldToASCII(buffer, length);
           termAtt.setTermBuffer(output, 0, outputPos);
           break;
@@ -96,19 +95,59 @@
    * @param input The string to fold
    * @param length The number of characters in the input string
    */
-  public void foldToASCII(char[] input, int length)
-  {
+  protected void foldToASCII(char[] input, int length) {
     // Worst-case length required:
     final int maxSizeNeeded = 4 * length;
     if (output.length < maxSizeNeeded) {
       output = new char[ArrayUtil.getNextSize(maxSizeNeeded)];
     }
 
-    outputPos = 0;
-
-    for (int pos = 0 ; pos < length ; ++pos) {
+    outputPos = foldToASCII(input, output, 0);
+  }
+  
+  /**
+   * Converts characters above ASCII to their ASCII equivalents.  For example,
+   * accents are removed from accented characters.
+   * @param input      The characters to fold
+   * @param output     The result of the folding. Should be of size >= {@code 4*input.length + outputPos}.
+   * @return new position ({@code outputPos}) in {@code ouput}
+   */
+  public static final int foldToASCII(char[] input, char[] output, int outputPos) {
+    assert output.length >= 4*input.length + outputPos;
+    for (int pos = 0 ; pos < input.length ; ++pos) {
       final char c = input[pos];
+      outputPos = foldToASCII(c, output, outputPos);
+    }
+    return outputPos;
+  }
 
+  /**
+   * Converts characters above ASCII to their ASCII equivalents.  For example,
+   * accents are removed from accented characters.
+   * @param input      The CharSequence to fold
+   * @return The result of the folding
+   */
+  public static String foldToASCII(CharSequence input) {
+    int length = input.length();
+    // Worst-case length required:
+    final int maxSizeNeeded = 4 * length;
+    char[] output = new char[maxSizeNeeded];
+    int outputPos = 0;
+    for (int pos = 0 ; pos < length ; ++pos) {
+      final char c = input.charAt(pos);
+      outputPos = foldToASCII(c, output, outputPos);
+    }
+    return new String(output, 0, outputPos);
+  }
+  /**
+   * Converts characters above ASCII to their ASCII equivalents.  For example,
+   * accents are removed from accented characters.
+   * @param c          The character to fold
+   * @param output     The result of the folding. Should be of size >= {@code outputPos + 4}.
+   * @param outputPos  Where to put the folding result in {@code output}
+   * @return new position ({@code outputPos}) in {@code ouput}
+   */
+  public static final int foldToASCII(char c, char[] output, int outputPos) {
       // Quick test: if it's not in range then just keep current character
       if (c < '\u0080') {
         output[outputPos++] = c;
@@ -2025,7 +2064,7 @@
             output[outputPos++] = c;
             break;
         }
-      }
     }
+    return outputPos;
   }
 }