Index: translate/storage/cpo.py
===================================================================
--- translate/storage/cpo.py	(revision 8228)
+++ translate/storage/cpo.py	(working copy)
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@
 gpo.po_message_msgid_plural.restype = STRING
 gpo.po_message_msgstr.restype = STRING
 gpo.po_message_msgstr_plural.restype = STRING
+gpo.po_message_set_format.argtypes = [c_int, STRING, c_int]
+gpo.po_format_list.restype = POINTER(STRING)
 
 # Message (set methods)
 gpo.po_message_set_comments.argtypes = [c_int, STRING]
@@ -422,6 +424,40 @@
     def hastypecomment(self, typecomment):
         return gpo.po_message_is_format(self._gpo_message, typecomment)
 
+    def _get_available_typecomments(self):
+        """Returns a list of all the type comments available"""
+        formats = gpo.po_format_list()
+        typecomments = []
+        for format in formats:
+            if format is None:
+                break
+            else:
+                typecomments.append(format)
+        return typecomments
+
+    def gettypecomments(self):
+        """Returns a list of the unit type comments
+
+       @returns: a list of the typecomments or an empty list if the unit not
+           have type comments.
+        """
+        comments = []
+        for typecomment in self._get_available_typecomments():
+            if self.hastypecomment(typecomment):
+                comments.append(typecomment)
+        return comments
+
+    def addtypecomment(self, typecomment):
+        """Adds a type comment to the unit
+
+        @param typecomment: the type comment to be added, for example
+            "c-format"
+        """
+        if typecomment not in self._get_available_typecomments():
+            raise ValueError("Invalid typecomment: %s" % typecomment)
+
+        gpo.po_message_set_format(self._gpo_message, typecomment, 1)
+
     def hasmarkedcomment(self, commentmarker):
         commentmarker = "(%s)" % commentmarker
         for comment in self.getnotes("translator").split("\n"):