--- deliantra/server/include/shstr.h	2006/09/12 18:15:34	1.10
+++ deliantra/server/include/shstr.h	2007/05/14 21:52:32	1.15
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef SHSTR_H__
 #define SHSTR_H__
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 #include "util.h"
 
 extern int buf_overflow (const char *buf1, const char *buf2, int bufsize);
@@ -31,6 +33,14 @@
     return length (s);
   }
 
+  // returns wether this shared string begins with the given prefix,
+  // used mainly for searched when users give only the start of a name.
+  bool begins_with (const char *prefix) const
+  {
+    int plen = strlen (prefix);
+    return !strncasecmp (s, prefix, plen) && length () >= plen;
+  }
+
   static const char *find (const char *s);
   static const char *intern (const char *s);
 
@@ -101,6 +111,24 @@
   return sh.length ();
 }
 
+inline int strcmp (const shstr &a, const shstr &b)
+{
+  // TODO: use this to find all the occurences of people using strcmp
+  // all uses should be bogus, as we should be never interested in
+  // comparing shstr's alphabetically
+#if 0
+  extern void do_not_use_strcmp_to_compare_shstr_values ();
+  do_not_use_strcmp_to_compare_shstr_values ();
+#endif
+  return a != b;
+}
+
+static std::ostream &operator <<(std::ostream &o, const shstr &sh)
+{
+  o.write (sh.s, sh.length ());
+  return o;
+}
+
 // only good for mass comparisons to shstr objects
 struct shstr_cmp
 {
@@ -111,6 +139,12 @@
   {
   }
 
+  shstr_cmp (const shstr_cmp &sh)
+  : s (sh.s)
+  {
+  }
+
+  shstr_cmp &operator =(const shstr_cmp sh) { s = sh.s; return *this; }
   operator const char *() const { return s; }
 };