diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31fc067
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+/.gitattributes export-ignore
+/.gitignore export-ignore
+/test export-ignore
+/*.xml.dist export-ignore
+/.github export-ignore
diff --git a/src/sample_helpers.php b/src/sample_helpers.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d76a84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sample_helpers.php
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Google\Cloud\Samples;
+
+use ReflectionFunction;
+
+function execute_sample(string $file, string $namespace, ?array $argv)
+{
+    // Return if sample file is not being executed via CLI
+    if (is_null($argv)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Return if sample file is being included via PHPUnit
+    $argvFile = array_shift($argv);
+    if ('.php' != substr($argvFile, -4)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Determine the name of the function to execute
+    $functionName = sprintf('%s\\%s', $namespace, basename($file, '.php'));
+
+    // Verify the user has supplied the correct number of arguments
+    $functionReflection = new ReflectionFunction($functionName);
+    if (
+        count($argv) < $functionReflection->getNumberOfRequiredParameters()
+        || count($argv) > $functionReflection->getNumberOfParameters()
+    ) {
+        print(get_usage(basename($file), $functionReflection));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Require composer autoload for the user
+    $autoloadDir = dirname(dirname($functionReflection->getFileName()));
+    if (!file_exists($autoloadFile = $autoloadDir . '/vendor/autoload.php')) {
+        printf(
+            'You must run "composer install" in the sample root (%s/)' . PHP_EOL,
+            $autoloadDir
+        );
+        return;
+    }
+    require_once $autoloadFile;
+
+    // If any parameters are typehinted as "array", explode user input on ","
+    $parameterReflections = $functionReflection->getParameters();
+    foreach (array_values($argv) as $i => $val) {
+        $parameterReflection = $parameterReflections[$i];
+        if (
+            $parameterReflection->hasType()
+            && 'array' === $parameterReflection->getType()->getName()
+        ) {
+            $argv[$i] = explode(',', $argv[$i]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Run the function
+    call_user_func_array($functionName, $argv);
+}
+
+function get_usage(string $file, ReflectionFunction $functionReflection)
+{
+    // Print basic usage
+    $paramNames = [];
+    foreach ($functionReflection->getParameters() as $param) {
+        $name = '$' . $param->getName();
+        if ($param->isOptional()) {
+            $default = var_export($param->getDefaultValue(), true);
+            $name = "[$name=$default]";
+        }
+        $paramNames[] = $name;
+    }
+    $usage = sprintf('Usage: %s %s' . PHP_EOL, $file, implode(' ', $paramNames));
+
+    // Print @param docs if they exist
+    preg_match_all(
+        "#(@param+\s*[a-zA-Z0-9, ()_].*)#",
+        $functionReflection->getDocComment(),
+        $matches
+    );
+    if (isset($matches[0])) {
+        $usage .= PHP_EOL . "\t";
+        $usage .= implode(PHP_EOL . "\t", $matches[0]) . PHP_EOL;
+        $usage .= PHP_EOL;
+    }
+
+    return $usage;
+}