diff --git a/Lib/distutils/file_util.py b/Lib/distutils/file_util.py
index 65aa7e0..758bde3 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/file_util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/file_util.py
@@ -10,17 +10,18 @@
 from distutils import log
 
 # for generating verbose output in 'copy_file()'
-_copy_action = { None:   'copying',
-                 'hard': 'hard linking',
-                 'sym':  'symbolically linking' }
+_copy_action = {None: 'copying',
+                'hard': 'hard linking',
+                'sym': 'symbolically linking'}
 
 
 def _copy_file_contents(src, dst, buffer_size=16*1024):
-    """Copy the file 'src' to 'dst'; both must be filenames.  Any error
-    opening either file, reading from 'src', or writing to 'dst', raises
-    DistutilsFileError.  Data is read/written in chunks of 'buffer_size'
-    bytes (default 16k).  No attempt is made to handle anything apart from
-    regular files.
+    """Copy the file 'src' to 'dst'.
+
+    Both must be filenames. Any error opening either file, reading from
+    'src', or writing to 'dst', raises DistutilsFileError.  Data is
+    read/written in chunks of 'buffer_size' bytes (default 16k).  No attempt
+    is made to handle anything apart from regular files.
     """
     # Stolen from shutil module in the standard library, but with
     # custom error-handling added.
@@ -68,15 +69,16 @@
 
 def copy_file(src, dst, preserve_mode=1, preserve_times=1, update=0,
               link=None, verbose=1, dry_run=0):
-    """Copy a file 'src' to 'dst'.  If 'dst' is a directory, then 'src' is
-    copied there with the same name; otherwise, it must be a filename.  (If
-    the file exists, it will be ruthlessly clobbered.)  If 'preserve_mode'
-    is true (the default), the file's mode (type and permission bits, or
-    whatever is analogous on the current platform) is copied.  If
-    'preserve_times' is true (the default), the last-modified and
-    last-access times are copied as well.  If 'update' is true, 'src' will
-    only be copied if 'dst' does not exist, or if 'dst' does exist but is
-    older than 'src'.
+    """Copy a file 'src' to 'dst'.
+
+    If 'dst' is a directory, then 'src' is copied there with the same name;
+    otherwise, it must be a filename.  (If the file exists, it will be
+    ruthlessly clobbered.)  If 'preserve_mode' is true (the default),
+    the file's mode (type and permission bits, or whatever is analogous on
+    the current platform) is copied.  If 'preserve_times' is true (the
+    default), the last-modified and last-access times are copied as well.
+    If 'update' is true, 'src' will only be copied if 'dst' does not exist,
+    or if 'dst' does exist but is older than 'src'.
 
     'link' allows you to make hard links (os.link) or symbolic links
     (os.symlink) instead of copying: set it to "hard" or "sym"; if it is
@@ -166,13 +168,12 @@
 
 
 # XXX I suspect this is Unix-specific -- need porting help!
-def move_file (src, dst,
-               verbose=1,
-               dry_run=0):
+def move_file(src, dst, verbose=1, dry_run=0):
+    """Move a file 'src' to 'dst'.
 
-    """Move a file 'src' to 'dst'.  If 'dst' is a directory, the file will
-    be moved into it with the same name; otherwise, 'src' is just renamed
-    to 'dst'.  Return the new full name of the file.
+    If 'dst' is a directory, the file will be moved into it with the same
+    name; otherwise, 'src' is just renamed to 'dst'.  Return the new
+    full name of the file.
 
     Handles cross-device moves on Unix using 'copy_file()'.  What about
     other systems???
@@ -229,7 +230,7 @@
     return dst
 
 
-def write_file (filename, contents):
+def write_file(filename, contents):
     """Create a file with the specified name and write 'contents' (a
     sequence of strings without line terminators) to it.
     """
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_file_util.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_file_util.py
index fac4a5d..99b421f 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_file_util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_file_util.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 
-from distutils.file_util import move_file
+from distutils.file_util import move_file, write_file, copy_file
 from distutils import log
 from distutils.tests import support
 
@@ -55,6 +55,21 @@
         wanted = ['moving %s -> %s' % (self.source, self.target_dir)]
         self.assertEquals(self._logs, wanted)
 
+    def test_write_file(self):
+        lines = ['a', 'b', 'c']
+        dir = self.mkdtemp()
+        foo = os.path.join(dir, 'foo')
+        write_file(foo, lines)
+        content = [line.strip() for line in open(foo).readlines()]
+        self.assertEquals(content, lines)
+
+    def test_copy_file(self):
+        src_dir = self.mkdtemp()
+        foo = os.path.join(src_dir, 'foo')
+        write_file(foo, 'content')
+        dst_dir = self.mkdtemp()
+        copy_file(foo, dst_dir)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'foo')))
 
 def test_suite():
     return unittest.makeSuite(FileUtilTestCase)