+ /**
+ * Strip all leading/trailing whitespace, and transform all interal
+ * whitespace into a single ' ' character - i.e newlines/carriage returns/
+ * tabs/multiple spaces will be condensed.
+ */
+ std::string simplify(const std::string& s);
+
+ /**
+ * convert a string representing a decimal number, to an int
+ */
+ int to_int(const std::string& s, int base = 10);
+
+ /**
+ * Like strcmp(), but for dotted versions strings NN.NN.NN
+ * any number of terms are support.
+ * @return 0 if versions match, -ve number if v1 is lower, +ve if v1
+ * is greater
+ */
+ int compare_versions(const std::string& v1, const std::string& v2);