diff --git a/src/mode/mod.rs b/src/mode/mod.rs
index 5ccb18e..ca7840e 100644
--- a/src/mode/mod.rs
+++ b/src/mode/mod.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
 //! Functions for parsing and managing permissions
 mod parser;
-use core::ops::{BitAnd, BitAndAssign, BitOr, BitOrAssign};
+use std::{
+    fmt::{self, Write},
+    ops::{BitAnd, BitAndAssign, BitOr, BitOrAssign},
+};
 
 pub use parser::{ParseError, Parser};
 
+/// Gets the umask for the current user
 #[must_use]
 pub fn get_umask() -> u32 {
     let mask = unsafe { libc::umask(0) };
-    unsafe { libc::umask(mask) }
+    let _mask = unsafe { libc::umask(mask) };
+    mask
 }
 
+/// Unix permission bit flags
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq)]
 pub enum Bit {
     Suid = 0o4000,
@@ -26,6 +32,61 @@ pub enum Bit {
     OExec = 0o1,
 }
 
+impl Bit {
+    fn as_char(&self, mode: u32) -> char {
+        if mode & *self != 0 {
+            match self {
+                Self::Suid | Self::Sgid => 's',
+                Self::Sticky => 't',
+                Self::URead | Self::GRead | Self::ORead => 'r',
+                Self::UWrite | Self::GWrite | Self::OWrite => 'w',
+                Self::UExec if mode & Self::Suid != 0 => 's',
+                Self::GExec if mode & Self::Sgid != 0 => 's',
+                Self::OExec if mode & Self::Sticky != 0 => 't',
+                Self::UExec | Self::GExec | Self::OExec => 'x',
+            }
+        } else {
+            '-'
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Functions for extracting information about Unix modes
+pub trait Mode {
+    /// Returns a string representing permissions in symbolic format
+    fn mode_string(&self) -> Result<String, fmt::Error>;
+}
+
+impl Mode for u32 {
+    fn mode_string(&self) -> Result<String, fmt::Error> {
+        let b = if self & 0o40000 != 0 && self & 0o20000 != 0 {
+            'b'
+        } else if self & 0o40000 != 0 {
+            'd'
+        } else if self & 0o20000 != 0 {
+            'c'
+        } else {
+            '-'
+        };
+        let mut s = String::new();
+        write!(s, "{b}")?;
+        [
+            Bit::URead,
+            Bit::UWrite,
+            Bit::UExec,
+            Bit::GRead,
+            Bit::GWrite,
+            Bit::GExec,
+            Bit::ORead,
+            Bit::OWrite,
+            Bit::OExec,
+        ]
+        .iter()
+        .try_for_each(|b| write!(s, "{}", b.as_char(*self)))?;
+        Ok(s)
+    }
+}
+
 impl BitAnd<u32> for Bit {
     type Output = u32;
 
@@ -69,3 +130,66 @@ impl BitOrAssign<Bit> for u32 {
         *self = *self | rhs;
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn getumask() {
+        let mask = unsafe { libc::umask(0o22) };
+        assert_eq!(get_umask(), 0o022);
+        unsafe {
+            libc::umask(mask);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_dir() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o40755;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "drwxr-xr-x")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_char() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o20666;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "crw-rw-rw-")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_block() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o60660;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "brw-rw----")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_file() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o100644;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "-rw-r--r--")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_suid() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o104755;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "-rwsr-xr-x")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_sgid() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o102755;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "-rwxr-sr-x")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn display_bits_sticky() {
+        let m: u32 = 0o41777;
+        let s = m.mode_string().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(s.as_str(), "drwxrwxrwt")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/mode/parser.rs b/src/mode/parser.rs
index 5721af9..4008678 100644
--- a/src/mode/parser.rs
+++ b/src/mode/parser.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::{
     ops::{BitAnd, BitAndAssign, BitOr, BitOrAssign},
 };
 
+/// Errors which might occur when parsing Unix permissions from a string
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub enum ParseError {
     /// the given `Bit` cannot be set for the given `Who`