Implement PathItem.create(pathData)

determining if the data describes a plain path or a compound-path with multiple sub-paths.

src/path/PathItem.js

@@ -27,6 +27,24 @@ var PathItem = Item.extend(/** @lends PathItem# */{
         // Do nothing.
     },
 
+    statics: /** @lends PathItem */{
+        /**
+         * Creates a path item from the given SVG path-data, determining if the
+         * data describes a plain path or a compound-path with multiple
+         * sub-paths.
+         *
+         * @param {String} pathData the SVG path-data to parse
+         * @return {Path|CompoundPath} the newly created path item
+         */
+        create: function(pathData) {
+            // If there are multiple moveTo commands or a closePath command
+            // followed by other commands, we have a CompoundPath.
+            var ctor = (pathData && pathData.match(/m/gi) || []).length > 1
+                    || /z\s*\S+/i.test(pathData) ? CompoundPath : Path;
+            return new ctor(pathData);
+        }
+    },
+
     _asPathItem: function() {
         // See Item#_asPathItem()
         return this;

src/svg/SvgImport.js

@@ -135,16 +135,7 @@ new function() {
     }
 
     function importPath(node) {
-        // Get the path data, and determine whether it is a compound path or a
+        return PathItem.create(node.getAttribute('d'));
-        // normal path based on the amount of moveTo commands inside it.
-        var data = node.getAttribute('d'),
-            param = { pathData: data };
-        // If there are multiple moveTo commands or a closePath command followed
-        // by other commands, we have a CompoundPath:
-        // TODO: PathItem.create()?
-        return (data && data.match(/m/gi) || []).length > 1 || /z\b/i.test(data)
-                ? new CompoundPath(param)
-                : new Path(param);
     }
 
     function importGradient(node, type) {