--- /dev/null
+#ifndef STRING_CONVERSION_GROUP
+#define STRING_CONVERSION_GROUP
+
+/*****************************************************************************\
+* *
+* Name : string_convert *
+* Author : Chris Koeritz *
+* *
+*******************************************************************************
+* Copyright (c) 2007-$now By Author. This program is free software; you can *
+* redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public *
+* License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of *
+* the License or (at your option) any later version. This is online at: *
+* http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html *
+* Please send any updates to: fred@gruntose.com *
+\*****************************************************************************/
+
+#include <basis/astring.h>
+#include <basis/utf_conversion.h>
+
+#ifdef __WIN32__
+ #ifndef _MANAGED
+ #ifndef __MINGW32__
+ #define _WINSOCKAPI_ // the dance of the windows headers.
+ #include <windows.h>
+ #include <comdef.h>
+ #endif
+ #endif
+#endif
+
+// forward.
+class _bstr_t; // ATL (Active Template Library) string type.
+
+//! A collection of conversions between popular string types.
+
+namespace string_convert
+{
+
+#ifdef _AFXDLL
+ //! conversion from MFC CString to astring.
+ inline astring to_astring(const CString &original)
+ { return astring(from_unicode_temp(original)); }
+
+ //! conversion from astring to MFC CString.
+ inline CString to_CString(const astring &original)
+ { return CString(to_unicode_temp(original)); }
+#endif
+
+#ifdef WIN32
+ #ifndef _MANAGED
+ #ifndef __MINGW32__
+ //! conversion from ATL's _bstr_t object to astring.
+ inline basis::astring to_astring(const _bstr_t &original) {
+ return basis::astring(basis::astring::UNTERMINATED, (const char *)original,
+ original.length());
+ }
+
+ //! conversion from astring to the ATL _bstr_t object.
+ inline _bstr_t to_bstr_t(const basis::astring &original)
+ { return _bstr_t(original.s()); }
+ #endif
+ #endif
+#endif
+
+//other conversions.
+
+} //namespace
+
+#endif
+