diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index b7d5394702..27675b9d9f 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -17,6 +17,19 @@
    past entries belonging to author(s): Viktor Szakats.
 */
 
+2009-10-13 00:21 UTC+0200 Francesco Saverio Giudice (info/at/fsgiudice.com)
+  * harbour/src/rtl/hbini.prg
+     * Changed hb_IniString() function name to hb_IniReadStr()
+     + Added hb_IniWriteStr() that returns a string from an Ini hash
+        hb_iniWriteStr( hIni, cCommentBegin, cCommentEnd, lAutoMain )
+         -> cData | NIL
+        ! Fixed a previous error in logic in case of hIni with missing MAIN section
+  * harbour/include/hbextern.ch
+     - Removed hb_IniString() declaration
+     + Added hb_IniReadStr() and hb_IniWriteStr() external declarations
+  * harbour/tests/parseini.prg
+     + Added samples of hb_IniReadStr() and hb_IniWriteStr() functions
+
 2009-10-12 22:47 UTC+0200 Francesco Saverio Giudice (info/at/fsgiudice.com)
   * harbour/include/hbextern.ch
      + Added hb_IniString() external declaration
diff --git a/harbour/include/hbextern.ch b/harbour/include/hbextern.ch
index d4126729dc..97f80993be 100644
--- a/harbour/include/hbextern.ch
+++ b/harbour/include/hbextern.ch
@@ -943,8 +943,9 @@ EXTERNAL HB_SETCLSHANDLE
 
 EXTERNAL HB_INISETCOMMENT
 EXTERNAL HB_INIREAD
-EXTERNAL HB_INISTRING
+EXTERNAL HB_INIREADSTR
 EXTERNAL HB_INIWRITE
+EXTERNAL HB_INIWRITESTR
 
 EXTERNAL HB_HRBRUN
 EXTERNAL HB_HRBDO
diff --git a/harbour/src/rtl/hbini.prg b/harbour/src/rtl/hbini.prg
index 200b1109fb..bea0d00a3f 100644
--- a/harbour/src/rtl/hbini.prg
+++ b/harbour/src/rtl/hbini.prg
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ FUNCTION hb_IniRead( cFileSpec, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMain )
 
    cData := hb_IniFileLow( cFileSpec )
 
-   RETURN hb_IniString( cData, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMain )
+   RETURN hb_IniReadStr( cData, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMain )
 
-FUNCTION hb_IniString( cData, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMain )
+FUNCTION hb_IniReadStr( cData, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMain )
    LOCAL hIni := hb_Hash()
 
    /* Default case sensitiveness for keys */
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ STATIC FUNCTION hb_IniStringLow( hIni, cData, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMai
    LOCAL cLine
    LOCAL reComment, reInclude, reSection, reSplitters
 
+   DEFAULT cData TO ""
+
    reComment := hb_RegexComp( s_cHalfLineComment + "|^[ \t]*" + s_cLineComment )
    reInclude := hb_RegexComp( "include (.*)" )
    reSection := hb_RegexComp( "[[](.*)[]]" )
@@ -275,10 +277,15 @@ STATIC FUNCTION hb_IniStringLow( hIni, cData, lKeyCaseSens, cSplitters, lAutoMai
 FUNCTION hb_IniWrite( xFileName, hIni, cCommentBegin, cCommentEnd, lAutoMain )
    LOCAL hFile
    LOCAL lClose
-   LOCAL cNewLine := hb_OSNewLine()
-   LOCAL cSection
    LOCAL cBuffer
 
+   cBuffer := hb_IniWriteStr( hIni, cCommentBegin, cCommentEnd, lAutoMain )
+
+   // if cBuffer == NIL I have to stop here
+   IF !ISCHARACTER( cBuffer )
+      RETURN .F.
+   ENDIF
+
    IF ISCHARACTER( xFileName )
       hFile := FCreate( xFileName )
       lClose := .T.
@@ -293,30 +300,51 @@ FUNCTION hb_IniWrite( xFileName, hIni, cCommentBegin, cCommentEnd, lAutoMain )
       RETURN .F.
    ENDIF
 
-   IF ! Empty( cCommentBegin )
-      cBuffer := cCommentBegin + cNewLine
-      IF FWrite( hFile, cBuffer ) != Len( cBuffer )
-         IF lClose
-            FClose( hFile )
-         ENDIF
-         RETURN .F.
+   IF FWrite( hFile, cBuffer ) != Len( cBuffer )
+      IF lClose
+         FClose( hFile )
       ENDIF
+      RETURN .F.
+   ENDIF
+
+   IF lClose
+      FClose( hFile )
+   ENDIF
+
+   RETURN .T.
+
+FUNCTION hb_IniWriteStr( hIni, cCommentBegin, cCommentEnd, lAutoMain )
+   LOCAL cNewLine := hb_OSNewLine()
+   LOCAL cSection
+   LOCAL cBuffer := ""
+
+   IF !HB_ISHASH( hIni )
+      RETURN NIL
+   ENDIF
+
+   IF ! Empty( cCommentBegin )
+      cBuffer += cCommentBegin + cNewLine
    ENDIF
 
    DEFAULT lAutoMain TO .T.
 
+   // Fix if lAutoMain is .T. but I haven't a MAIN section
+   IF lAutoMain .AND. !hb_HHasKey( hIni, "MAIN" )
+      lAutoMain := .F.
+   ENDIF
+
    /* Write toplevel section */
    IF lAutoMain
       /* When automain is on, write the main section */
       hb_HEval( hIni[ "MAIN" ], ;
-               { |cKey, xVal| FWrite( hFile, hb_CStr( cKey ) + " = " + ;
-                                             hb_CStr( xVal ) + cNewLine ) } )
+               { |cKey, xVal| cBuffer += hb_CStr( cKey ) + " = " + ;
+                                             hb_CStr( xVal ) + cNewLine } )
 
    ELSE
       /* When automain is off, just write all the toplevel variables. */
       hb_HEval( hIni, { |cKey, xVal| iif( ! hb_isHash( xVal ),;
-                FWrite( hFile, hb_CStr( cKey ) + " = " + ;
-                               hb_CStr( xVal ) + cNewLine ), /* nothing */ ) } )
+                cBuffer += hb_CStr( cKey ) + " = " + ;
+                           hb_CStr( xVal ) + cNewLine, /* nothing */ ) } )
    ENDIF
 
    FOR EACH cSection IN hIni
@@ -334,31 +362,17 @@ FUNCTION hb_IniWrite( xFileName, hIni, cCommentBegin, cCommentEnd, lAutoMain )
          ENDIF
       ENDIF
 
-      cBuffer := cNewLine + "[" + hb_CStr( cSection:__enumKey ) + "]" + cNewLine
-      IF FWrite( hFile, cBuffer ) != Len( cBuffer )
-         IF lClose
-            FClose( hFile )
-         ENDIF
-         RETURN .F.
-      ENDIF
+      cBuffer += cNewLine + "[" + hb_CStr( cSection:__enumKey ) + "]" + cNewLine
 
       hb_HEval( cSection, ;
-                { |cKey, xVal| FWrite( hFile, hb_CStr( cKey ) + "=" + ;
-                                              hb_CStr( xVal ) + cNewLine ) } )
+                { |cKey, xVal| cBuffer += hb_CStr( cKey ) + "=" + ;
+                                          hb_CStr( xVal ) + cNewLine } )
    NEXT
 
    IF ! Empty( cCommentEnd )
-      cBuffer := cCommentEnd + cNewLine
-      IF FWrite( hFile, cBuffer ) != Len( cBuffer )
-         IF lClose
-            FClose( hFile )
-         ENDIF
-         RETURN .F.
-      ENDIF
+      cBuffer += cCommentEnd + cNewLine
    ENDIF
 
-   IF lClose
-      FClose( hFile )
-   ENDIF
+   RETURN IIF( !Empty( cBuffer ), cBuffer, NIL )
+
 
-   RETURN .T.
diff --git a/harbour/tests/parseini.prg b/harbour/tests/parseini.prg
index bbfa40e10d..cb68dd79b5 100644
--- a/harbour/tests/parseini.prg
+++ b/harbour/tests/parseini.prg
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 *
 
 PROCEDURE Main( cName )
-   LOCAL aIni, aSect
+   LOCAL hIni, aSect, cIni
    LOCAL cSection
    LOCAL cKey
    LOCAL nRow := 1
@@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ PROCEDURE Main( cName )
       @nRow++, 5 SAY "Using default parseini.ini file"
    ENDIF
 
-   aIni := hb_IniRead( cName )
+   hIni := hb_IniRead( cName )
 
    @nRow, 0
 
    ? "Content of " + cName
 
-   IF Empty( aIni )
+   IF Empty( hIni )
       ? "Not a valid .ini file!"
    ELSE
-      FOR EACH cSection IN aIni:Keys
+      FOR EACH cSection IN hIni:Keys
          ?
          ? "Section [" + cSection + "]"
-         aSect := aIni[ cSection ]
+         aSect := hIni[ cSection ]
 
          FOR EACH cKey IN aSect:Keys
             ? cKey + " = " + aSect[ cKey ]
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ PROCEDURE Main( cName )
 
    ?
    ? "Adding section 'Added', with key NEW = new"
-   aIni[ "Added" ] := hb_Hash()
-   aIni[ "Added" ][ "NEW" ] := "new"
+   hIni[ "Added" ] := hb_Hash()
+   hIni[ "Added" ][ "NEW" ] := "new"
 
    ? "Writing output to parseini_out.ini"
-   IF hb_IniWrite( "parseini_out.ini", aIni, "#Generated file; don't touch", "#End of file")
+   IF hb_IniWrite( "parseini_out.ini", hIni, "#Generated file; don't touch", "#End of file")
       ? "File written"
    ELSE
       ? "Can't write file"
@@ -59,21 +59,23 @@ PROCEDURE Main( cName )
    ?
    ? "Press any key to next text."
    Inkey(0)
+
+   nRow := 3
+   @nRow, 0 CLEAR
    ?
    ? "REPEATING TESTS WITHOUT AUTOMATIC MAIN SECTION"
+   ?
 
-   aIni := hb_IniRead( cName, /*default case*/ , /*Default key indicators */ , .F. )
-
-   @nRow, 0
+   hIni := hb_IniRead( cName, /*default case*/ , /*Default key indicators */ , .F. )
 
    ? "Content of " + cName
 
-   IF Empty( aIni )
+   IF Empty( hIni )
       ? "Not a valid .ini file!"
    ELSE
-      FOR EACH cSection IN aIni:Keys
+      FOR EACH cSection IN hIni:Keys
          /* Now (without automatic main), toplevel options may be in the root hash */
-         aSect := aIni[ cSection ]
+         aSect := hIni[ cSection ]
 
          IF HB_IsHash( aSect )
             /* It's a section */
@@ -92,11 +94,11 @@ PROCEDURE Main( cName )
 
    ?
    ? "Adding section 'Added', with key NEW = new"
-   aIni[ "Added" ] := hb_Hash()
-   aIni[ "Added" ][ "NEW" ] := "new"
+   hIni[ "Added" ] := hb_Hash()
+   hIni[ "Added" ][ "NEW" ] := "new"
 
    ? "Writing output to parseini_out1.ini"
-   IF hb_IniWrite( "parseini_out1.ini", aIni,;
+   IF hb_IniWrite( "parseini_out1.ini", hIni,;
          "#Generated file without main auto section; don't touch", "#End of file",;
          .F. )
       ? "File written"
@@ -107,4 +109,71 @@ PROCEDURE Main( cName )
    ? "Press any key to next text."
    Inkey(0)
 
+   nRow := 3
+   @nRow, 0 CLEAR
+   ?
+   ? "WRITING INI TO A STRING"
+   ?
+
+   cIni := hb_IniWriteStr( hIni )
+
+   ? "Content of hIni : "
+   ?
+   ? cIni
+   ?
+   ? "Press any key to next text."
+   Inkey(0)
+
+   nRow := 3
+   @nRow, 0 CLEAR
+   ?
+   ? "READING INI FILE FROM A STRING"
+   ?
+
+   hIni := hb_IniReadStr( cIni, /*default case*/ , /*Default key indicators */ , .F. )
+
+   ? "Content: "
+
+   IF Empty( hIni )
+      ? "Not a valid .ini file!"
+   ELSE
+      FOR EACH cSection IN hIni:Keys
+         /* Now (without automatic main), toplevel options may be in the root hash */
+         aSect := hIni[ cSection ]
+
+         IF HB_IsHash( aSect )
+            /* It's a section */
+            ?
+            ? "Section [" + cSection + "]"
+
+            FOR EACH cKey IN aSect:Keys
+               ? cKey + " = " + aSect[ cKey ]
+            NEXT
+         ELSE
+            /* It's a toplevel option */
+            ? "TOPLEVEL option:", cSection + " = " + aSect
+         ENDIF
+      NEXT
+   ENDIF
+
+   ?
+   ? "Press any key to next text."
+   Inkey(0)
+
+   nRow := 3
+   @nRow, 0 CLEAR
+   ?
+   ? "WRITING INI FILE TO A STRING "
+   ?
+
+   cIni := hb_IniWriteStr( hb_IniRead( cName ) )
+
+   ? "Content of " + cName
+   ?
+   ? cIni
+   ?
+   ? "Press any key to next text."
+   Inkey(0)
+
+
 RETURN