diff --git a/nac3core/irrt/irrt/utils.hpp b/nac3core/irrt/irrt/utils.hpp
index da175167..0c6b7c0b 100644
--- a/nac3core/irrt/irrt/utils.hpp
+++ b/nac3core/irrt/irrt/utils.hpp
@@ -19,4 +19,59 @@ bool arrays_match(int len, T* as, T* bs) {
     }
     return true;
 }
+
+namespace cstr_utils {
+bool is_empty(const char* str) {
+    return str[0] == '\0';
+}
+
+int8_t compare(const char* a, const char* b) {
+    uint32_t i = 0;
+    while (true) {
+        if (a[i] < b[i]) {
+            return -1;
+        } else if (a[i] > b[i]) {
+            return 1;
+        } else {  // a[i] == b[i]
+            if (a[i] == '\0') {
+                return 0;
+            } else {
+                i++;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+int8_t equal(const char* a, const char* b) {
+    return compare(a, b) == 0;
+}
+
+uint32_t length(const char* str) {
+    uint32_t length = 0;
+    while (*str != '\0') {
+        length++;
+        str++;
+    }
+    return length;
+}
+
+bool copy(const char* src, char* dst, uint32_t dst_max_size) {
+    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < dst_max_size; i++) {
+        bool is_last = i + 1 == dst_max_size;
+        if (is_last && src[i] != '\0') {
+            dst[i] = '\0';
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (src[i] == '\0') {
+            dst[i] = '\0';
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        dst[i] = src[i];
+    }
+
+    __builtin_unreachable();
+}
+}  // namespace cstr_utils
 }  // namespace