diff --git a/pyacl/acl.py b/pyacl/acl.py
index 1402ca1..3a12baa 100644
--- a/pyacl/acl.py
+++ b/pyacl/acl.py
@@ -8,7 +8,17 @@ An English copy of the Licence is shipped in a file called LICENSE along with th
 You may obtain copies of the Licence in any of the official languages at https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/eupl/eupl-text-eupl-12.
 """
 
-import posix1e
+from pwd import getpwnam
+
+from posix1e import (
+    ACL,
+    ACL_GROUP,
+    ACL_GROUP_OBJ,
+    ACL_MASK,
+    ACL_OTHER,
+    ACL_USER,
+    ACL_USER_OBJ,
+)
 
 DEFAULT_ENTRIES = [
   'u::rw-',
@@ -32,6 +42,15 @@ DEFAULT_ENTRYTYPES = [
 
 MAX_PERMBITS = 3
 
+LIBACL_TAGS = {
+  'user': ACL_USER,
+  'group': ACL_GROUP,
+  'user_obj': ACL_USER_OBJ,
+  'group_obj': ACL_GROUP_OBJ,
+  'other': ACL_OTHER,
+  'mask': ACL_MASK,
+}
+
 
 def reduce_entries(acl):
   entries = acl.to_any_text().decode().split()
@@ -108,8 +127,41 @@ def parse_entries(acl):
   return outmap
 
 
+def buildacl(target_name, target_type, read=False, write=False, execute=False):
+  target_types = ['user', 'group']
+  if target_type not in target_types or not isinstance(target_name, str):
+    return ValueError('Invalid use of buildacl()')
+
+  myacl = ACL()
+  mytags = [tag for tag in LIBACL_TAGS if tag == target_type or tag in [ltag for ltag in LIBACL_TAGS if ltag not in target_types]]
+
+  aclmap = {
+    entry: myacl.append()
+    for entry in mytags
+  }
+
+  for entry, reference in aclmap.items():
+    reference.tag_type = LIBACL_TAGS[entry]
+
+  aclmap[target_type].qualifier = getpwnam(target_name).pw_uid
+
+  for pentry in ['mask', target_type]:
+    perms = aclmap[pentry].permset
+    perms.read = read
+    perms.write = write
+    perms.execute = execute
+
+  return myacl
+
+
+def acltofile(acl, path):
+  if acl.valid() is not True:
+    return ValueError('ACL is not ready to be applied.')
+  acl.applyto(path)
+
+
 def aclfromfile(path):
-  return posix1e.ACL(file=path)
+  return ACL(file=path)
 
 
 def entriesfromfile(path):
diff --git a/ruff.toml b/ruff.toml
index 8d3d2fd..bddbc59 100644
--- a/ruff.toml
+++ b/ruff.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ extend-select = [
 ]
 ignore = [
   "E501",    # line lengths
+  "FBT002",  # booleans as function arguments
   "S603",    # https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff/issues/4045
   "S607",    # makes subprocess calls in test suite more portable
 ]
@@ -31,3 +32,6 @@ explicit-preview-rules = true
 
 [lint.pydocstyle]
 convention = "pep257"
+
+[lint.isort]
+force-wrap-aliases = true
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 576d959..99daa59 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -14,9 +14,18 @@ from subprocess import run
 import pytest
 
 
-#@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 @pytest.fixture
-def sample_file(tmp_path_factory, aclin):
+def sample_file(tmp_path_factory):
+  directory = tmp_path_factory.mktemp('sample_files')
+  file = directory / 'file_to_be_acled'
+  file.touch()
+  assert not file.read_text()  # file should exist
+  yield file
+  rmtree(directory)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def sample_file_with_acl(tmp_path_factory, aclin):
   directory = tmp_path_factory.mktemp('sample_files')
   file = directory / 'file_with_user_read_acl'
   file.touch()
diff --git a/tests/matrix-apply.yaml b/tests/matrix-apply.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..154c271
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/matrix-apply.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+user:user:r:
+  args:
+    target_name: user
+    target_type: user
+    read: true
+  expect:
+    user:
+      user:
+        read: true
+        write: false
+        execute: false
+    group: &null_allfalse
+      null:
+        read: false
+        write: false
+        execute: false
+    mask: &null_ro
+      null:
+        read: true
+        write: false
+        execute: false
+    other: *null_allfalse
diff --git a/tests/test_pyacl.py b/tests/test_pyacl.py
index 97eec9a..d96e95f 100644
--- a/tests/test_pyacl.py
+++ b/tests/test_pyacl.py
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ def load_yaml(file):
 
 
 @mark.parametrize('aclin, aclout', load_yaml('matrix.yaml'))
-def test_parse_acl(sample_file, aclin, aclout):
-  have = acl.parsefromfile(sample_file)
+def test_parse_acl(sample_file_with_acl, aclin, aclout):
+  have = acl.parsefromfile(sample_file_with_acl)
   assert aclout == have
+
+
+@mark.parametrize('scenario, data', load_yaml('matrix-apply.yaml'))
+def test_build_and_apply_acl(sample_file, scenario, data):
+  built_acl = acl.buildacl(**data['args'])
+  assert len(list(built_acl)) == 5  # noqa PLR2004, this is the expected size of the built ACL
+  assert acl.acltofile(built_acl, sample_file) is None
+  read_acl = acl.parsefromfile(sample_file)
+  assert read_acl == data['expect']