diff --git a/mrw/stdext.cpp b/mrw/stdext.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2936dd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mrw/stdext.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/** @file
+
+    $Id$
+
+    $Date$
+    $Author$
+
+    @copy © Marc Wäckerlin
+    @license LGPL, see file <a href="license.html">COPYING</a>
+
+    $Log$
+    Revision 1.1  2004/10/13 11:18:33  marc
+    getline reads a whole line from a stream
+
+
+*/
+
+#include <stdext.hpp>
+
+std::string mrw::getline(std::istream& is, char d) {
+  char buf[255];
+  char c;
+  std::string s;
+  do {
+    if (is && is.get(buf, 255, d)) {
+      s += buf;
+      if (is.get(c) && c!=d) s+=c;
+    }
+  } while (is.good() && !is.eof() && c!=d);
+  return s;
+}
+
+std::istream& mrw::getline(std::istream& is, std::string& s, char d) {
+  char buf[255];
+  char c;
+  s.clear();
+  do {
+    if (is && is.get(buf, 255, d)) {
+      s += buf;
+      if (is.get(c) && c!=d) s+=c;
+    }
+  } while (is.good() && !is.eof() && c!=d);
+  return is;
+}
diff --git a/mrw/stdext.hpp b/mrw/stdext.hpp
index e37cf57..867353c 100644
--- a/mrw/stdext.hpp
+++ b/mrw/stdext.hpp
@@ -9,20 +9,72 @@
     @license LGPL, see file <a href="license.html">COPYING</a>
 
     $Log$
+    Revision 1.2  2004/10/13 11:18:33  marc
+    getline reads a whole line from a stream
+
     Revision 1.1  2004/10/11 18:30:16  marc
     *** empty log message ***
 
 
 */
 
+#include <string>
+#include <iostream>
+
 namespace mrw {
-  
+
+  /** @brief get the lower of two values
+
+      Get the lower of two values.
+      If both values are equal, @c a is returned.
+
+      @param a first value to compare
+      @param b second value to compare
+      @return the lower of both values
+      @pre #include <mrw/stdext.hpp>
+      @pre @c T must support <code>bool operator>(conbst T&, constT&)</code>
+  */
   template<typename T> const T& min(const T& a, const T& b) {
     return a > b ? b : a;
   }
   
+  /** @brief get the higher of two values
+
+      Get the higher of two values.
+      If both values are equal, @c a is returned.
+
+      @param a first value to compare
+      @param b second value to compare
+      @return the higher of both values
+      @pre #include <mrw/stdext.hpp>
+      @pre @c T must support <code>bool operator<(conbst T&, constT&)</code>
+  */
   template<typename T> const T& max(const T& a, const T& b) {
     return a < b ? b : a;
   }
 
+  /** @brief read one line from a stream
+
+      Reads one line from a stream, up to delimiter @c d.
+
+      @param is the stream to read from
+      @param d the end of line delimiter
+      @return the line read from the stream
+      @pre #include <mrw/stdext.hpp>
+  */
+  std::string getline(std::istream& is, char d = '\n');
+
+  /** @brief read one line from a stream
+
+      Reads one line from a stream, up to delimiter @c d.
+
+      @param is the stream to read from
+      @param s the string to place the line in
+      @param d the end of line delimiter
+      @return @c s: the line read from the stream
+      @return the stream after extraction of line
+      @pre #include <mrw/stdext.hpp>
+  */
+  std::istream& getline(std::istream& is, std::string& s, char d = '\n');
+
 }