diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index 7b8269ae9b..66bb497090 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -8,6 +8,26 @@
    2002-12-01 13:30 UTC+0100 Foo Bar <foo.bar@foobar.org>
 */
 
+2007-07-18 21:30 UTC+0200 Przemyslaw Czerpak (druzus/at/priv.onet.pl)
+  * harbour/include/hbapicdp.h
+  * harbour/source/rtl/cdpapi.c
+    + added C functions: hb_cdpUTF8StringSubstr(), hb_cdpUTF8StringPeek()
+    + added .prg functions: HB_UTF8SUBSTR(), HB_UTF8LEFT(), HB_UTF8RIGHT(),
+                            HB_UTF8LEN(), HB_UTF8PEEK()
+      They are working like corresponding functions: SUBSTR(), LEFT(),
+      RIGHT(), LEN(), STRPEEK() but operates on UTF-8 strings.
+      TODO: HB_UTF8STUFF(), HB_UTF8TRAN(), HB_UTF8POKE()
+
+  * harbour/include/hbcompat.ch
+    + added translation rule for str(<x>,,,.t.)
+
+  * harbour/contrib/tip/ftpcln.prg
+    ! changed str(<x>,,,.t.) to ltrim(str(<x>))
+
+  * harbour/source/rtl/right.c
+  * harbour/source/rtl/left.c
+    % minor optimization
+
 2007-07-18 16:43 UTC+0200 Przemyslaw Czerpak (druzus/at/priv.onet.pl)
   * harbour/contrib/libct/Makefile
   * harbour/contrib/libct/makefile.bc
diff --git a/harbour/contrib/tip/ftpcln.prg b/harbour/contrib/tip/ftpcln.prg
index 80e6a9dc9c..c17414c2dd 100644
--- a/harbour/contrib/tip/ftpcln.prg
+++ b/harbour/contrib/tip/ftpcln.prg
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ RETURN ::GetReply()
 
 
 METHOD Rest( nPos ) CLASS tIPClientFTP
-   ::InetSendall( ::SocketCon, "REST " + Str( If( Empty( nPos ), 0, nPos ),,, .T. ) + ::cCRLF )
+   ::InetSendall( ::SocketCon, "REST " + LTrim( Str( If( Empty( nPos ), 0, nPos ) ) ) + ::cCRLF )
 RETURN ::GetReply()
 
 
diff --git a/harbour/include/hbapicdp.h b/harbour/include/hbapicdp.h
index 9690165a31..9ad1760120 100644
--- a/harbour/include/hbapicdp.h
+++ b/harbour/include/hbapicdp.h
@@ -191,6 +191,8 @@ extern HB_EXPORT ULONG         hb_cdpStrnToU16( PHB_CODEPAGE, BOOL, const BYTE *
 extern HB_EXPORT ULONG         hb_cdpStringInUTF8Length( PHB_CODEPAGE, BOOL, const BYTE *, ULONG );
 extern HB_EXPORT ULONG         hb_cdpUTF8ToStrn( PHB_CODEPAGE, BOOL, const BYTE *, ULONG, BYTE *, ULONG );
 extern HB_EXPORT ULONG         hb_cdpUTF8StringLength( const BYTE *, ULONG );
+extern HB_EXPORT BYTE *        hb_cdpUTF8StringSubstr( const BYTE *, ULONG, ULONG, ULONG, ULONG * );
+extern HB_EXPORT ULONG         hb_cdpUTF8StringPeek( const BYTE *, ULONG, ULONG );
 
 extern PHB_CODEPAGE hb_cdp_page;
 
diff --git a/harbour/include/hbcompat.ch b/harbour/include/hbcompat.ch
index ea3dd7a533..c93bad6927 100644
--- a/harbour/include/hbcompat.ch
+++ b/harbour/include/hbcompat.ch
@@ -96,9 +96,11 @@
    #xtranslate libLoad([<x,...>])      => hb_libLoad(<x>)
    #xtranslate libFree([<x,...>])      => hb_libFree(<x>)
 
-   #xtranslate CStr([<x,...>])         => hb_CStr(<x>)
    #xtranslate hb_checksum([<x,...>])  => hb_adler32(<x>)
 
+   #xtranslate CStr([<x,...>])         => hb_CStr(<x>)
+   #xtranslate str(<x>,[<y>],[<y>],<z>)=> iif(<z>, ltrim(str(<x>)), str(<x>))
+
    #xtranslate HASH([<x,...>])         => HB_HASH(<x>)
    #xtranslate HHASKEY([<x,...>])      => HB_HHASKEY(<x>)
    #xtranslate HGETPOS([<x,...>])      => HB_HPOS(<x>)
diff --git a/harbour/source/rtl/cdpapi.c b/harbour/source/rtl/cdpapi.c
index e374d253de..22cdf5c95c 100644
--- a/harbour/source/rtl/cdpapi.c
+++ b/harbour/source/rtl/cdpapi.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 
 #include "hbapiitm.h"
 #include "hbapicdp.h"
+#include "hbapierr.h"
 
 #define NUMBER_OF_CHARS    256
 
@@ -518,6 +519,90 @@ HB_EXPORT USHORT hb_cdpGetU16( PHB_CODEPAGE cdp, BOOL fCtrl, BYTE ch )
    return u;
 }
 
+HB_EXPORT BYTE * hb_cdpUTF8StringSubstr( const BYTE * pSrc, ULONG ulLen,
+                                         ULONG ulFrom, ULONG ulCount,
+                                         ULONG * pulDest )
+{
+   ULONG ul, ulCnt, ulDst = 0;
+   USHORT uc;
+   int n;
+   BYTE * pDst = NULL;
+
+   if( ulCount && ulLen )
+   {
+      n = 0;
+      for( ul = 0; ul < ulLen && ulFrom; ++ul )
+      {
+         if( utf8tou16nextchar( pSrc[ ul ], &n, &uc ) )
+         {
+            if( n == 0 )
+               --ulFrom;
+         }
+      }
+
+      if( ul < ulLen )
+      {
+         ulFrom = ul;
+         ulCnt = ulCount;
+         n = 0;
+         do
+         {
+            if( utf8tou16nextchar( pSrc[ ul ], &n, &uc ) )
+            {
+               if( n == 0 )
+                  --ulCnt;
+            }
+         }
+         while( ++ul < ulLen && ulCnt );
+
+         ulDst = ul - ulFrom;
+         pDst = ( BYTE * ) hb_xgrab( ulDst + 1 );
+         memcpy( pDst, &pSrc[ ulFrom ], ulDst );
+      }
+   }
+
+   if( pulDest )
+      * pulDest = ulDst;
+
+   return pDst;
+}
+
+HB_EXPORT ULONG hb_cdpUTF8StringPeek( const BYTE * pSrc, ULONG ulLen,
+                                      ULONG ulPos )
+{
+   if( ulLen )
+   {
+      ULONG ul;
+      USHORT uc = 0;
+      int n = 0;
+
+      for( ul = 0; ul < ulLen && ulPos; ++ul )
+      {
+         if( utf8tou16nextchar( pSrc[ ul ], &n, &uc ) )
+         {
+            if( n == 0 )
+               --ulPos;
+         }
+      }
+
+      if( ul < ulLen )
+      {
+         n = 0;
+         do
+         {
+            if( utf8tou16nextchar( pSrc[ ul ], &n, &uc ) )
+            {
+               if( n == 0 )
+                  return uc;
+            }
+         }
+         while( ++ul < ulLen );
+      }
+   }
+
+   return 0;
+}
+
 HB_EXPORT ULONG hb_cdpUTF8StringLength( const BYTE * pSrc, ULONG ulLen )
 {
    ULONG ul, ulDst;
@@ -1085,4 +1170,126 @@ HB_FUNC( HB_UTF8TOSTR )
       hb_retc( NULL );
 }
 
+HB_FUNC( HB_UTF8SUBSTR )
+{
+   int iPCount = hb_pcount();
+
+   if( ISCHAR( 1 ) && ( iPCount < 2 ||
+       ( ISNUM( 2 ) && ( iPCount < 3 || ISNUM( 3 ) ) ) ) )
+   {
+      char * szString = hb_parc( 1 ), * szDest = NULL;
+      ULONG ulLen = hb_parclen( 1 ), ulDest = 0;
+      LONG lFrom = hb_parnl( 2 );
+      LONG lCount = iPCount < 3 ? ( LONG ) ulLen : hb_parnl( 3 );
+
+      if( lFrom < 0 )
+      {
+         lFrom += hb_cdpUTF8StringLength( ( BYTE * ) szString, ulLen );
+         if( lFrom < 0 )
+            lFrom = 0;
+      }
+      else if( lFrom )
+         --lFrom;
+
+      if( ulLen && lCount > 0 )
+         szDest = ( char * ) hb_cdpUTF8StringSubstr( ( BYTE * ) szString,
+                                                     ulLen, lFrom, lCount,
+                                                     &ulDest );
+      if( szDest )
+         hb_retclen_buffer( szDest, ulDest );
+      else
+         hb_retc( NULL );
+   }
+   else
+      hb_errRT_BASE_SubstR( EG_ARG, 3012, NULL, &hb_errFuncName,
+                            HB_ERR_ARGS_BASEPARAMS );
+}
+
+HB_FUNC( HB_UTF8LEFT )
+{
+   char * szString = hb_parc( 1 );
+
+   if( szString && ISNUM( 2 ) )
+   {
+      LONG lLen = hb_parnl( 2 );
+      ULONG ulDest = 0;
+      char * szDest = NULL;
+
+      if( lLen > 0 )
+         szDest = ( char * ) hb_cdpUTF8StringSubstr( ( BYTE * ) szString,
+                                                     hb_parclen( 1 ), 0,
+                                                     lLen, &ulDest );
+
+      if( szDest )
+         hb_retclen_buffer( szDest, ulDest );
+      else
+         hb_retc( NULL );
+   }
+   else
+      hb_errRT_BASE_SubstR( EG_ARG, 3012, NULL, &hb_errFuncName,
+                            HB_ERR_ARGS_BASEPARAMS );
+}
+
+HB_FUNC( HB_UTF8RIGHT )
+{
+   char * szString = hb_parc( 1 );
+
+   if( szString && ISNUM( 2 ) )
+   {
+      LONG lLen = hb_parnl( 2 ), lFrom;
+      ULONG ulLen = hb_parclen( 1 ), ulDest = 0;
+      char * szDest = NULL;
+
+      if( ulLen && lLen > 0 )
+      {
+         lFrom = hb_cdpUTF8StringLength( ( BYTE * ) szString, ulLen ) - lLen;
+         if( lFrom < 0 )
+            lFrom = 0;
+         szDest = ( char * ) hb_cdpUTF8StringSubstr( ( BYTE * ) szString,
+                                                     ulLen, lFrom,
+                                                     lLen, &ulDest );
+      }
+
+      if( szDest )
+         hb_retclen_buffer( szDest, ulDest );
+      else
+         hb_retc( NULL );
+   }
+   else
+      hb_errRT_BASE_SubstR( EG_ARG, 3012, NULL, &hb_errFuncName,
+                            HB_ERR_ARGS_BASEPARAMS );
+}
+
+HB_FUNC( HB_UTF8PEEK )
+{
+   char * szString = hb_parc( 1 );
+
+   if( szString && ISNUM( 2 ) )
+   {
+      ULONG ulPos = hb_parnl( 2 );
+      ULONG ulLen = hb_parclen( 1 );
+
+      if( ulPos > 0 && ulPos < ulLen )
+         hb_retnint( hb_cdpUTF8StringPeek( ( BYTE * ) szString, ulLen, ulPos - 1 ) );
+      else
+         hb_retni( 0 );
+   }
+   else
+      hb_errRT_BASE_SubstR( EG_ARG, 3012, NULL, &hb_errFuncName,
+                            HB_ERR_ARGS_BASEPARAMS );
+}
+
+HB_FUNC( HB_UTF8LEN )
+{
+   char * szString = hb_parc( 1 );
+
+   if( szString )
+      hb_retnint( hb_cdpUTF8StringLength( ( BYTE * ) szString, hb_parclen( 1 ) ) );
+   else
+      hb_errRT_BASE_SubstR( EG_ARG, 3012, NULL, &hb_errFuncName,
+                            HB_ERR_ARGS_BASEPARAMS );
+}
+
+/* TODO: HB_UTF8TRAN, HB_UTF8STUFF, HB_UTF8POKE */
+
 #endif /* HB_CDP_SUPPORT_OFF */
diff --git a/harbour/source/rtl/left.c b/harbour/source/rtl/left.c
index 33b4005900..388411234a 100644
--- a/harbour/source/rtl/left.c
+++ b/harbour/source/rtl/left.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ HB_FUNC( LEFT )
    if( pText && ISNUM( 2 ) )
    {
       long lLen = hb_parnl( 2 );
-      if( lLen < 0 )
+      if( lLen <= 0 )
          hb_retc( NULL );
       else
       {
diff --git a/harbour/source/rtl/right.c b/harbour/source/rtl/right.c
index 52f4522de8..92538f5686 100644
--- a/harbour/source/rtl/right.c
+++ b/harbour/source/rtl/right.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ HB_FUNC( RIGHT )
    if( pText && ISNUM( 2 ) )
    {
       long lLen = hb_parnl( 2 );
-      if( lLen < 0 )
+      if( lLen <= 0 )
          hb_retc( NULL );
       else
       {