--- deliantra/server/include/shstr.h	2006/09/03 09:00:09	1.7
+++ deliantra/server/include/shstr.h	2007/05/14 21:52:32	1.15
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 #ifndef SHSTR_H__
 #define SHSTR_H__
 
-extern int buf_overflow(const char *buf1, const char *buf2, int bufsize);
+#include <sstream>
+
+#include "util.h"
+
+extern int buf_overflow (const char *buf1, const char *buf2, int bufsize);
 
 struct shstr
 {
+  static const char *null;
+
   const char *s;
 
   static int &refcnt (const char *s)
@@ -24,7 +30,15 @@
 
   int length () const
   {
-    return s ? length (s) : 0;
+    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);
@@ -33,20 +47,20 @@
   static void gc (); // garbage collect a few strings
 
   // this is used for informational messages and the like
-  const char *operator &() const { return s ? s : "<nil>"; }
+  const char *operator &() const { return s; }
 
   const char &operator [](int i) const { return s[i]; }
-  operator const char *() const { return s; }
+  operator const char *() const { return s == null ? 0 : s; }
 
   shstr ()
-  : s (0)
+  : s (null)
   {
   }
 
   shstr (const shstr &sh)
   : s (sh.s)
   {
-    if (s) ++refcnt ();
+    ++refcnt ();
   }
 
   explicit shstr (const char *s)
@@ -56,25 +70,40 @@
 
   ~shstr ()
   {
-    if (s) --refcnt ();
+    --refcnt ();
   }
 
   const shstr &operator =(const shstr &sh)
   {
-    if (s) --refcnt ();
+    --refcnt ();
     s = sh.s;
-    if (s) ++refcnt ();
+    ++refcnt ();
 
     return *this;
   }
 
   const shstr &operator =(const char *str)
   {
-    if (s) --refcnt ();
-    s = intern (str);
+    --refcnt ();
+
+    // this optimises the important case of str == constant 0
+    if (is_constant (str))
+      s = str ? intern (str) : null;
+    else
+      s = intern (str);
 
     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)
@@ -82,15 +111,54 @@
   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 */
+
 #endif