+ static string
+ do_strip( const string& s, int striptype )
+ {
+ string::size_type len = s.length();
+ if( len == 0 ) // empty string is trivial
+ return s;
+ string::size_type i = 0;
+ if (striptype != RIGHTSTRIP)
+ {
+ while (i < len && isspace(s[i]))
+ {
+ ++i;
+ }
+ }
+
+ string::size_type j = len;
+ if (striptype != LEFTSTRIP)
+ {
+ do
+ {
+ --j;
+ }
+ while (j >= 1 && isspace(s[j]));
+ ++j;
+ }
+
+ if (i == 0 && j == len)
+ {
+ return s;
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ return s.substr( i, j - i );
+ }
+ }
+
+ string
+ lstrip( const string& s )
+ {
+ return do_strip( s, LEFTSTRIP );
+ }
+
+ string
+ rstrip( const string& s )
+ {
+ return do_strip( s, RIGHTSTRIP );
+ }
+
+ string
+ strip( const string& s )
+ {
+ return do_strip( s, BOTHSTRIP );
+ }
+
+ string
+ rpad( const string & s, string::size_type length, char c )
+ {
+ string::size_type l = s.length();
+ if( l >= length ) return s;
+ string reply = s;
+ return reply.append( length-l, c );
+ }
+
+ string
+ lpad( const string & s, size_t length, char c )
+ {
+ string::size_type l = s.length();
+ if( l >= length ) return s;
+ string reply = s;
+ return reply.insert( 0, length-l, c );
+ }
+
+ bool
+ starts_with( const string & s, const string & substr )
+ {
+ return s.find( substr ) == 0;
+ }
+
+ bool
+ ends_with( const string & s, const string & substr )
+ {
+ size_t n = s.rfind( substr );
+ return (n != string::npos) && (n == s.length() - substr.length());
+ }
+
+ string simplify(const string& s)