+ redef fun ==(other)
+ do
+ if not other isa FlatString then return super
+
+ if self.object_id == other.object_id then return true
+
+ var my_length = length
+
+ if other.length != my_length then return false
+
+ var my_index = index_from
+ var its_index = other.index_from
+
+ var last_iteration = my_index + my_length
+
+ var itsitems = other.items
+ var myitems = self.items
+
+ while my_index < last_iteration do
+ if myitems[my_index] != itsitems[its_index] then return false
+ my_index += 1
+ its_index += 1
+ end
+
+ return true
+ end
+
+ redef fun <(other)
+ do
+ if not other isa FlatString then return super
+
+ if self.object_id == other.object_id then return false
+
+ var my_curr_char : Char
+ var its_curr_char : Char
+
+ var curr_id_self = self.index_from
+ var curr_id_other = other.index_from
+
+ var my_items = self.items
+ var its_items = other.items
+
+ var my_length = self.length
+ var its_length = other.length
+
+ var max_iterations = curr_id_self + my_length
+
+ while curr_id_self < max_iterations do
+ my_curr_char = my_items[curr_id_self]
+ its_curr_char = its_items[curr_id_other]
+
+ if my_curr_char != its_curr_char then
+ if my_curr_char < its_curr_char then return true
+ return false
+ end
+
+ curr_id_self += 1
+ curr_id_other += 1
+ end
+
+ return my_length < its_length
+ end
+
+ redef fun +(s)
+ do
+ var my_length = self.length
+ var its_length = s.length
+
+ var total_length = my_length + its_length
+
+ var target_string = calloc_string(my_length + its_length + 1)
+
+ self.items.copy_to(target_string, my_length, index_from, 0)
+ if s isa FlatString then
+ s.items.copy_to(target_string, its_length, s.index_from, my_length)
+ else if s isa FlatBuffer then
+ s.items.copy_to(target_string, its_length, 0, my_length)
+ else
+ var curr_pos = my_length
+ for i in [0..s.length[ do
+ var c = s.chars[i]
+ target_string[curr_pos] = c
+ curr_pos += 1
+ end
+ end
+
+ target_string[total_length] = '\0'
+
+ return target_string.to_s_with_length(total_length)
+ end
+
+ redef fun *(i)
+ do
+ assert i >= 0
+
+ var my_length = self.length
+
+ var final_length = my_length * i
+
+ var my_items = self.items
+
+ var target_string = calloc_string((final_length) + 1)
+
+ target_string[final_length] = '\0'
+
+ var current_last = 0
+
+ for iteration in [1 .. i] do
+ my_items.copy_to(target_string, my_length, 0, current_last)
+ current_last += my_length
+ end
+
+ return target_string.to_s_with_length(final_length)
+ end
+
+ redef fun hash
+ do
+ if hash_cache == null then
+ # djb2 hash algorithm
+ var h = 5381
+ var i = index_from
+
+ var myitems = items
+
+ while i <= index_to do
+ h = h.lshift(5) + h + myitems[i].ascii
+ i += 1
+ end
+
+ hash_cache = h
+ end
+
+ return hash_cache.as(not null)
+ end
+
+ redef fun substrings do return new FlatSubstringsIter(self)
+end
+
+private class FlatStringReverseIterator
+ super IndexedIterator[Char]
+
+ var target: FlatString
+
+ var target_items: NativeString
+
+ var curr_pos: Int
+
+ init with_pos(tgt: FlatString, pos: Int)