--- deliantra/server/include/shstr.h	2006/09/04 11:07:59	1.9
+++ 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);
 
@@ -84,6 +94,16 @@
 
     return *this;
   }
+
+  bool operator ==(const shstr &b)
+  {
+    return s == b.s;
+  }
+
+  bool operator !=(const shstr &b)
+  {
+    return !(*this == b);
+  }
 };
 
 inline int strlen (const shstr &sh)
@@ -91,14 +111,51 @@
   return sh.length ();
 }
 
-inline bool operator ==(const shstr &a, const shstr &b)
+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
+{
+  const char *s;
+
+  explicit shstr_cmp (const char *s)
+  : s (shstr::find (s))
+  {
+  }
+
+  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; }
+};
+
+inline bool operator ==(const shstr_cmp &a, const shstr &b)
 {
   return a.s == b.s;
 }
 
-inline bool operator !=(const shstr &a, const shstr &b)
+inline bool operator ==(const shstr &a, const shstr_cmp &b)
 {
-  return !(a == b);
+  return b == a;
 }
 
 extern const shstr undead_name;	/* Used in hit_player() in main.c */