diff --git a/cmd/kubectl/kubectlcobra/inventory.go b/cmd/kubectl/kubectlcobra/inventory.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..09e367bfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/kubectl/kubectlcobra/inventory.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+// Copyright 2020 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+// package kubectlcobra contains cobra commands from kubectl
+package kubectlcobra
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+)
+
+// Separates inventory fields. This string is allowable as a
+// ConfigMap key, but it is not allowed as a character in
+// resource name.
+const fieldSeparator = "_"
+
+// Inventory organizes and stores the indentifying information
+// for an object. This struct (as a string) is stored in a
+// grouping object to keep track of sets of applied objects.
+type Inventory struct {
+	Namespace string
+	Name      string
+	GroupKind schema.GroupKind
+}
+
+// createInventory returns a pointer to an Inventory struct filled
+// with the passed values. This function validates the passed fields
+// and returns an error for bad parameters.
+func createInventory(namespace string,
+	name string, gk schema.GroupKind) (*Inventory, error) {
+
+	// Namespace can be empty, but name cannot.
+	name = strings.TrimSpace(name)
+	if name == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Empty name for inventory object")
+	}
+	if gk.Empty() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Empty GroupKind for inventory object")
+	}
+
+	return &Inventory{
+		Namespace: strings.TrimSpace(namespace),
+		Name:      name,
+		GroupKind: gk,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// parseInventory takes a string, splits it into its five fields,
+// and returns a pointer to an Inventory struct storing the
+// five fields. Example inventory string:
+//
+//   test-namespace/test-name/apps/v1/ReplicaSet
+//
+// Returns an error if unable to parse and create the Inventory
+// struct.
+func parseInventory(inv string) (*Inventory, error) {
+	parts := strings.Split(inv, fieldSeparator)
+	if len(parts) == 4 {
+		gk := schema.GroupKind{
+			Group: strings.TrimSpace(parts[2]),
+			Kind:  strings.TrimSpace(parts[3]),
+		}
+		return createInventory(parts[0], parts[1], gk)
+	}
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to decode inventory: %s\n", inv)
+}
+
+// Equals returns true if the Inventory structs are identical;
+// false otherwise.
+func (i *Inventory) Equals(other *Inventory) bool {
+	return i.String() == other.String()
+}
+
+// String create a string version of the Inventory struct.
+func (i *Inventory) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%s%s%s%s%s",
+		i.Namespace, fieldSeparator,
+		i.Name, fieldSeparator,
+		i.GroupKind.Group, fieldSeparator,
+		i.GroupKind.Kind)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/kubectl/kubectlcobra/inventory_test.go b/cmd/kubectl/kubectlcobra/inventory_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f6aaf080
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/kubectl/kubectlcobra/inventory_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+// Copyright 2020 The Kubernetes Authors.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+// package kubectlcobra contains cobra commands from kubectl
+package kubectlcobra
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+)
+
+func TestCreateInventory(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		namespace string
+		name      string
+		gk        schema.GroupKind
+		expected  string
+		isError   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			namespace: "  \n",
+			name:      " test-name\t",
+			gk: schema.GroupKind{
+				Group: "apps",
+				Kind:  "ReplicaSet",
+			},
+			expected: "_test-name_apps_ReplicaSet",
+			isError:  false,
+		},
+		{
+			namespace: "test-namespace ",
+			name:      " test-name\t",
+			gk: schema.GroupKind{
+				Group: "apps",
+				Kind:  "ReplicaSet",
+			},
+			expected: "test-namespace_test-name_apps_ReplicaSet",
+			isError:  false,
+		},
+		// Error with empty name.
+		{
+			namespace: "test-namespace ",
+			name:      " \t",
+			gk: schema.GroupKind{
+				Group: "apps",
+				Kind:  "ReplicaSet",
+			},
+			expected: "",
+			isError:  true,
+		},
+		// Error with empty GroupKind.
+		{
+			namespace: "test-namespace",
+			name:      "test-name",
+			gk:        schema.GroupKind{},
+			expected:  "",
+			isError:   true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		inv, err := createInventory(test.namespace, test.name, test.gk)
+		if !test.isError {
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Error creating inventory when it should have worked.")
+			} else if test.expected != inv.String() {
+				t.Errorf("Expected inventory (%s) != created inventory(%s)\n", test.expected, inv.String())
+			}
+		}
+		if test.isError && err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Should have returned an error in createInventory()")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInventoryEqual(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		inventory1 *Inventory
+		inventory2 *Inventory
+		isEqual    bool
+	}{
+		// Two equal inventories without a namespace
+		{
+			inventory1: &Inventory{
+				Name: "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			inventory2: &Inventory{
+				Name: "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			isEqual: true,
+		},
+		// Two equal inventories with a namespace
+		{
+			inventory1: &Inventory{
+				Namespace: "test-namespace",
+				Name:      "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			inventory2: &Inventory{
+				Namespace: "test-namespace",
+				Name:      "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			isEqual: true,
+		},
+		// One inventory with a namespace, one without -- not equal.
+		{
+			inventory1: &Inventory{
+				Name: "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			inventory2: &Inventory{
+				Namespace: "test-namespace",
+				Name:      "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			isEqual: false,
+		},
+		// One inventory with a Deployment, one with a ReplicaSet -- not equal.
+		{
+			inventory1: &Inventory{
+				Name: "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			inventory2: &Inventory{
+				Name: "test-inv",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "ReplicaSet",
+				},
+			},
+			isEqual: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		actual := test.inventory1.Equals(test.inventory2)
+		if test.isEqual && !actual {
+			t.Errorf("Expected inventories equal, but actual is not: (%s)/(%s)\n", test.inventory1, test.inventory2)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseInventory(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		invStr    string
+		inventory *Inventory
+		isError   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			invStr: "_test-name_apps_ReplicaSet\t",
+			inventory: &Inventory{
+				Name: "test-name",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "ReplicaSet",
+				},
+			},
+			isError: false,
+		},
+		{
+			invStr: "test-namespace_test-name_apps_Deployment",
+			inventory: &Inventory{
+				Namespace: "test-namespace",
+				Name:      "test-name",
+				GroupKind: schema.GroupKind{
+					Group: "apps",
+					Kind:  "Deployment",
+				},
+			},
+			isError: false,
+		},
+		// Not enough fields -- error
+		{
+			invStr:    "_test-name_apps",
+			inventory: &Inventory{},
+			isError:   true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		actual, err := parseInventory(test.invStr)
+		if !test.isError {
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Error parsing inventory when it should have worked.")
+			} else if !test.inventory.Equals(actual) {
+				t.Errorf("Expected inventory (%s) != parsed inventory (%s)\n", test.inventory, actual)
+			}
+		}
+		if test.isError && err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Should have returned an error in parseInventory()")
+		}
+	}
+}