diff --git a/shared/src/OctalCode.cpp b/shared/src/OctalCode.cpp
index 7a604bdc09..7a9c24e3d7 100644
--- a/shared/src/OctalCode.cpp
+++ b/shared/src/OctalCode.cpp
@@ -18,19 +18,35 @@ int numberOfThreeBitSectionsInCode(unsigned char * octalCode) {
     }
 }
 
+void printOctalCode(unsigned char * octalCode) {
+    for (int i = 1; i < bytesRequiredForCodeLength(*octalCode); i++) {
+        outputBits(octalCode[i]);
+    }
+}
+
+char sectionValue(unsigned char * startByte, char startIndexInByte) {
+    char rightShift = 8 - startIndexInByte - 3;
+    
+    if (rightShift < 0) {
+        return ((startByte[0] << -rightShift) & 7) + (startByte[1] >> 7);
+    } else {
+        return (startByte[0] >> rightShift) & 7;
+    }
+}
+
 int bytesRequiredForCodeLength(unsigned char threeBitCodes) {
     if (threeBitCodes == 0) {
         return 1;
     } else {
         return 1 + (int)ceilf((threeBitCodes * 3) / 8.0);
     }
-    
 }
 
-void printOctalCode(unsigned char * octalCode) {
-    for (int i = 1; i < bytesRequiredForCodeLength(*octalCode); i++) {
-        outputBits(octalCode[i]);
-    }
+char branchIndexWithDescendant(unsigned char * ancestorOctalCode, unsigned char * descendantOctalCode) {
+    int parentSections = numberOfThreeBitSectionsInCode(ancestorOctalCode);
+    
+    int branchStartBit = parentSections * 3;
+    return sectionValue(descendantOctalCode + 1 + (branchStartBit / 8), branchStartBit % 8);
 }
 
 unsigned char * childOctalCode(unsigned char * parentOctalCode, char childNumber) {
diff --git a/shared/src/OctalCode.h b/shared/src/OctalCode.h
index dc313a0e24..b66dcc7199 100644
--- a/shared/src/OctalCode.h
+++ b/shared/src/OctalCode.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 void printOctalCode(unsigned char * octalCode);
 int bytesRequiredForCodeLength(unsigned char threeBitCodes);
+bool isDirectParentOfChild(unsigned char *parentOctalCode, unsigned char * childOctalCode);
+char branchIndexWithDescendant(unsigned char * ancestorOctalCode, unsigned char * descendantOctalCode);
 unsigned char * childOctalCode(unsigned char * parentOctalCode, char childNumber);
 
 #endif /* defined(__hifi__OctalCode__) */