diff --git a/src/fr/inrialpes/exmo/align/parser/AlignmentParser.java b/src/fr/inrialpes/exmo/align/parser/AlignmentParser.java
index 67a47db45e887ca0cf1924dc66d27b08d7277db7..af8ef02a32a15899a32650ae96b3d0b22a71923f 100644
--- a/src/fr/inrialpes/exmo/align/parser/AlignmentParser.java
+++ b/src/fr/inrialpes/exmo/align/parser/AlignmentParser.java
@@ -193,7 +193,8 @@ public class AlignmentParser {
 
     /** 
      * Parses a URI expressed as a String
-     * @param uri the URI
+     * @param uri the URI as a String
+     * This is only here for compatibility purposes
      */
     public Alignment parse( String uri ) throws AlignmentException {
 	this.uri = uri; // should be obsoloted
@@ -205,6 +206,16 @@ public class AlignmentParser {
 	return alignment;
     }
 
+    /** 
+     * Parses a URI
+     * @param uri the URI
+     */
+    public Alignment parse( URI uri ) throws AlignmentException {
+	this.uri = uri.toString();
+	callParser( uri );
+	return alignment;
+    }
+
     /** 
      * Parses an inputStream
      * @param s the Stream to parse