diff -r 1bf721567067 Lib/tarfile.py
--- a/Lib/tarfile.py	Fri Mar 01 21:28:23 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/tarfile.py	Thu Mar 07 18:40:13 2013 +0530
@@ -27,6 +27,20 @@
 # OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 #
 """Read from and write to tar format archives.
+
+Command line usage:
+    
+Options:
+    -o/--output <dir> -e/--extract <archive> <f1> <f2> ... : Extract the 
+            files <f1>, <f2>,... from <archive> with output folder as dir.
+            (If <dir> not specified extracts in current dir.)
+            (If <f1> <f2> ... not specified extracts all the files.)
+    -c/--create <archive> <f1> <f2> .. ... : Creates an archive of 
+            files <f1>, <f2>, ... with the name of the archive as <archive>.
+    -l/--list <archive> : Lists the files of the archive
+    --gz/--gunzip/--gzip/--tgz/-z/--ungzip/--bz2/--bzip2/--tbz2/--tbz/
+                --tb2/--xz/--lzma: Compression to be used.
+    -d/--doc: To print __doc__
 """
 
 version     = "0.9.0"
@@ -2426,3 +2440,67 @@
 
 bltn_open = open
 open = TarFile.open
+
+
+def main():
+    import argparse
+    
+    output = os.curdir
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser("tarfile Command line")
+    parser.add_argument('-l', '--list', metavar = '<tarfile>',
+                        help = 'list all the files in the archive')
+    parser.add_argument('-e', '--extract', nargs = '*',
+                        metavar = ('<tarfile>', '<files>'),
+                        help = 'extract files, if files not specified \
+                        extract all. If -o/-outdir specified extracts \
+                        in that dir')
+    parser.add_argument('-c', '--create', nargs = '*',
+                        metavar = ('<name>', '<files>'),
+                        help = 'create an archive of the files \
+                        specified. Compression should be specified')
+    parser.add_argument('-o', '--outdir', metavar = '<dir>',
+                        help = 'output dir of the extracted files')
+    parser.add_argument('--gz', '--gunzip', '--gzip', '--tgz', '-z', 
+                        '--ungzip', action = 'store_true', 
+                        help = 'gz compression')
+    parser.add_argument('--bz2', '--bzip2', '--tbz2', '--tbz', '--tb2',
+                        action = 'store_true', help = 'bz2 compression')
+    parser.add_argument('--xz', '--lzma', action = 'store_true',
+                        help = 'xz compression')
+    parser.add_argument('-d', '--doc', action = 'store_true', 
+                        help = 'documentation')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    
+    if args.list:
+        with open(args.list) as t:
+            t.list()
+            
+    if args.outdir:
+        output = args.outdir
+        
+    if args.extract:
+        with open(args.extract.pop(0)) as t:
+            if not args.extract:
+                t.extractall(output)
+            else:
+                for member in args.extract:
+                    t.extract(member, output)
+                    
+    if args.create:
+        if args.gz:
+            mode = 'w:gz'
+        elif args.bz2:
+            mode = 'w:bz2'
+        elif args.xz:
+            mode = 'w:xz'
+        else:
+            mode = 'w'
+        with open(args.create.pop(0), mode) as t:
+            for file in args.create:
+                t.add(file)
+    
+    if args.doc:
+        sys.stdout.write(__doc__)
+    
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())