return p;
 }
 
+int flash_command_get_bank_by_num(
+       struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *str, flash_bank_t **bank)
+{
+       unsigned bank_num;
+       COMMAND_PARSE_NUMBER(uint, str, bank_num);
+
+       *bank = get_flash_bank_by_num(bank_num);
+       if (!*bank)
+       {
+               command_print(cmd_ctx,
+                       "flash bank '#%u' not found", bank_num);
+               return ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENTS;
+       }
+       return ERROR_OK;
+}
+
+
 static int handle_flash_bank_command(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *cmd, char **args, int argc)
 {
        int retval;
 
  * @returns A flash_bank_t for flash bank @a num, or NULL
  */
 extern flash_bank_t *get_flash_bank_by_num(int num);
+/**
+ * Retreives @a bank from a command argument, reporting errors parsing
+ * the bank identifier or retreiving the specified bank.
+ * @param cmd_ctx The command context for reporting errors.
+ * @param str The string containing the bank identifier.
+ * @param bank On output, contians a pointer to the bank or NULL.
+ * @returns ERROR_OK on success, or an error indicating the problem.
+ */
+int flash_command_get_bank_by_num(
+       struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *str, flash_bank_t **bank);
 /**
  * Returns the flash bank like get_flash_bank_by_num(), without probing.
  * @param num The flash bank number.
 
        return NULL;
 }
 
+int nand_command_get_device_by_num(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx,
+               char *str, nand_device_t **device)
+{
+       unsigned num;
+       COMMAND_PARSE_NUMBER(uint, str, num);
+       *device = get_nand_device_by_num(num);
+       if (!*device) {
+               command_print(cmd_ctx, "NAND flash device '#%s' is out of bounds", str);
+               return ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENTS;
+       }
+       return ERROR_OK;
+}
+
 static int nand_build_bbt(struct nand_device_s *device, int first, int last)
 {
        uint32_t page = 0x0;
 
 extern int nand_register_commands(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx);
 extern int nand_init(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx);
 
+/// helper for parsing a nand device command argument string
+int nand_command_get_device_by_num(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx,
+               char *str, nand_device_t **device);
+
+
 #define                ERROR_NAND_DEVICE_INVALID               (-1100)
 #define                ERROR_NAND_OPERATION_FAILED             (-1101)
 #define                ERROR_NAND_OPERATION_TIMEOUT    (-1102)