diff --git a/c++utilities.pro b/c++utilities.pro
index bce7e3f..cce8a5c 100644
--- a/c++utilities.pro
+++ b/c++utilities.pro
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ SOURCES += \
     io/ansiescapecodes.cpp \
     misc/random.cpp \
     io/bitreader.cpp \
-    application/commandlineutils.cpp
+    application/commandlineutils.cpp \
+    io/inifile.cpp
 
 HEADERS += \
     application/global.h \
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ HEADERS += \
     misc/memory.h \
     misc/random.h \
     io/bitreader.h \
-    application/commandlineutils.h
+    application/commandlineutils.h \
+    io/inifile.h
 
 OTHER_FILES += \
     README.md \
diff --git a/io/inifile.cpp b/io/inifile.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09574ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/io/inifile.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+#include "inifile.h"
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+using namespace std;
+
+namespace IoUtilities {
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Parses all data from the specified \a inputStream.
+ */
+void IniFile::parse(std::istream &inputStream)
+{
+    // define variable for state machine
+    enum State {Init, Comment, ScopeName, Key, Value} state = Init;
+    // current character
+    char c;
+    // number of postponed whitespaces
+    unsigned int whitespace = 0;
+    // current scope, key and value
+    string scope, key, value;
+    scope.reserve(16);
+    key.reserve(16);
+    value.reserve(256);
+    // define actions for state machine
+    // called when key/value pair is complete
+    auto finishKeyValue = [&scope, &key, &value, &whitespace, this] {
+        m_data[scope].insert(make_pair(key, value));
+        key.clear();
+        value.clear();
+        whitespace = 0;
+    };
+    // called to add current character to current key or value
+    auto addChar = [&whitespace, &c] (string &to) {
+        if(c == ' ') {
+            ++whitespace;
+        } else {
+            if(!to.empty()) {
+                while(whitespace) {
+                    to += ' ';
+                    --whitespace;
+                }
+            } else {
+                whitespace = 0;
+            }
+            to += c;
+        }
+    };
+    // thorw an exception when an IO error occurs
+    inputStream.exceptions(ios_base::failbit | ios_base::badbit);
+    // parse the file char by char
+    try {
+        while(inputStream.get(c)) {
+            switch(state) {
+            case Init:
+                switch(c) {
+                case '\n':
+                    break;
+                case '#':
+                    state = Comment;
+                    break;
+                case '=':
+                    whitespace = 0;
+                    state = Value;
+                    break;
+                case '[':
+                    scope.clear();
+                    state = ScopeName;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    addChar(key);
+                    state = Key;
+                }
+                break;
+            case Key:
+                switch(c) {
+                case '\n':
+                    finishKeyValue();
+                    state = Init;
+                    break;
+                case '#':
+                    finishKeyValue();
+                    state = Comment;
+                    break;
+                case '=':
+                    whitespace = 0;
+                    state = Value;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    addChar(key);
+                }
+                break;
+            case Comment:
+                switch(c) {
+                case '\n':
+                    state = Init;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    ;
+                }
+                break;
+            case ScopeName:
+                switch(c) {
+                case ']':
+                    state = Init;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    scope += c;
+                }
+                break;
+            case Value:
+                switch(c) {
+                case '\n':
+                    finishKeyValue();
+                    state = Init;
+                    break;
+                case '#':
+                    finishKeyValue();
+                    state = Comment;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    addChar(value);
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    } catch (const ios_base::failure &) {
+        if(inputStream.eof()) {
+            // we just reached the end of the file
+            // don't forget to save the last key/value pair
+            finishKeyValue();
+        } else {
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Write the current data to the specified \a outputStream.
+ */
+void IniFile::make(ostream &outputStream)
+{
+    // thorw an exception when an IO error occurs
+    outputStream.exceptions(ios_base::failbit | ios_base::badbit);
+    for(const auto &scope : m_data) {
+        outputStream << '[' << scope.first << ']' << '\n';
+        for(const auto &field : scope.second) {
+            outputStream << field.first << '=' << field.second << '\n';
+        }
+        outputStream << '\n';
+    }
+}
+
+} // namespace IoUtilities
+
diff --git a/io/inifile.h b/io/inifile.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c438b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/io/inifile.h
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#ifndef IOUTILITIES_INIFILE_H
+#define IOUTILITIES_INIFILE_H
+
+#include "../application/global.h"
+
+#include <map>
+
+namespace IoUtilities {
+
+class LIB_EXPORT IniFile
+{
+public:
+    IniFile();
+
+    std::map<std::string, std::multimap<std::string, std::string> > &data();
+    const std::map<std::string, std::multimap<std::string, std::string> > &data() const;
+    void parse(std::istream &inputStream);
+    void make(std::ostream &outputStream);
+
+private:
+    std::map<std::string, std::multimap<std::string, std::string> > m_data;
+};
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Constructs an empty ini file.
+ */
+inline IniFile::IniFile()
+{}
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Returns the data of the file.
+ *
+ *  - The keys in the returned map represent the [scope name]s.
+ *  - The values in the returned map are maps representing "key = value"-pairs within the scope.
+ *  - The data might be modified an saved using the make() method.
+ */
+inline std::map<std::string, std::multimap<std::string, std::string> > &IniFile::data()
+{
+    return m_data;
+}
+
+/*!
+ * \brief Returns the data of the file.
+ *
+ *  - The keys in the returned map represent the [scope name]s.
+ *  - The values in the returned map are maps representing "key = value"-pairs within the scope.
+ */
+inline const std::map<std::string, std::multimap<std::string, std::string> > &IniFile::data() const
+{
+    return m_data;
+}
+
+} // namespace IoUtilities
+
+#endif // IOUTILITIES_INIFILE_H