diff --git a/mrw/string.hpp b/mrw/string.hpp
index 6c090db..78d3048 100644
--- a/mrw/string.hpp
+++ b/mrw/string.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
     @license LGPL, see file <a href="license.html">COPYING</a>
 
     $Log$
+    Revision 1.4  2004/12/20 13:24:08  marc
+    from string conversion throws exception in case of failure
+
     Revision 1.3  2004/12/20 07:40:36  marc
     documentation improved, new grouping
 
@@ -23,10 +26,10 @@
 #ifndef __MRW__STRING__HPP__
 #define __MRW__STRING__HPP__
 
+#include <mrw/exception.hpp>
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
 
-
 namespace mrw {
   
   /** @defgroup StdExt Extensions for C++ Standard Libraries
@@ -116,6 +119,10 @@ namespace mrw {
       operators. If you don't want this, just don't include any of
       these include files files. There's no impact from this module,
       if you don't include a header, since all code is inline.
+
+      @note The signature of some string functions has changed:
+            They may now throw exceptions if conversion fails!
+            (since 1.4.1)
   */
   //@{
   /** @defgroup stdextstring String extensions
@@ -146,6 +153,10 @@ namespace mrw {
          s += 4;
          s = 13.5 + s + 24.8;
          @endcode
+
+      @note The signature of some string functions has changed:
+            They may now throw exceptions if conversion fails!
+            (since 1.4.1)
   */
   //@{
 
@@ -159,7 +170,6 @@ namespace mrw {
       @param o a value to be converted to std::string
       @pre #include <mrw/string.hpp>
       @pre T must support operator<< to a stream
-
   */
   template <typename T> std::string string(const T& o)
     throw(std::bad_exception) {
@@ -174,14 +184,20 @@ namespace mrw {
       int i = mrw::to<int>("15");
       @endcode
 
+      @throw mrw::invalid_argument if value can not be created from string
       @param s the string where a value of type @c T is extracted from
       @pre #include <mrw/string.hpp>
       @pre T must support operator>> from a stream
+      @pre operator>> from T must not throw anything else than std::exception
+
+      @note The signature has changed:
+            It may now throw exceptions if conversion fails!
+            (since 1.4.1)
   */
-  template <typename T> T to(const std::string& s) throw(std::bad_exception) {
+  template <typename T> T to(const std::string& s) throw(std::exception) {
     T o;
     std::stringstream ss(s);
-    ss>>o;
+    if (!(ss>>o)) throw mrw::invalid_argument(s);
     return o;
   }
 
@@ -224,6 +240,7 @@ template <typename T> std::string& operator<<(std::string& s, const T& o)
     // now: s1=="" s2=="length:" i==15 s3=="mm"
     @endcode
 
+    @throw mrw::invalid_argument if value can not be created from string
     @param s the string, from which o is extracted
     @param o the value to extract from s
     @note when something is extracted from a string, it is removed
@@ -231,11 +248,15 @@ template <typename T> std::string& operator<<(std::string& s, const T& o)
     shortened by the shifted element
     @pre #include <mrw/string.hpp>
     @pre T must support operator>> from a stream
+
+    @note The signature has changed:
+          It may now throw exceptions if conversion fails!
+          (since 1.4.1)
 */
 template <typename T> std::string& operator>>(std::string& s, T& o)
-  throw(std::bad_exception) {
+  throw(std::exception) {
   std::stringstream ss(s);
-  ss>>o;
+  if (!(ss>>o)) throw mrw::invalid_argument(s);
   return (s=ss.tellg()>0?s.substr(ss.tellg()):"");
 }