diff --git a/src/ec_string.erl b/src/ec_string.erl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dcba81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ec_string.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+%%%-------------------------------------------------------------------
+%%% @copyright (C) 2011, Erlware LLC
+%%% @doc
+%%%  Helper functions for working with strings.
+%%% @end
+%%%-------------------------------------------------------------------
+-module(ec_string).
+
+-export([
+	 compare_versions/2
+	]).
+%%%===================================================================
+%%% API
+%%%===================================================================
+
+%% @doc Is arbitrary version string A bigger than version string B?
+%% Valid version string elements are either separated by . or - or both.
+%% Final version string elements may have a numeric followed directly by an
+%% alpha numeric and will be compared separately as in 12alpha.
+%% 
+%% <pre>
+%% Example: compare_versions("3-2-5-alpha", "3.10.6") will return false
+%%          compare_versions("3-2-alpha", "3.2.1-alpha") will return false
+%%          compare_versions("3-2alpha", "3.2.1-alpha") will return false
+%%          compare_versions("3.2.2", "3.2.2") will return false
+%%          compare_versions("3.2.1", "3.2.1-rc2") will return true
+%%          compare_versions("3.2.2", "3.2.1") will return true
+%% </pre>
+-spec compare_versions(VsnA::string(), VsnB::string()) -> boolean().
+compare_versions(VsnA, VsnB) ->
+    compare(string:tokens(VsnA, ".-"),string:tokens(VsnB, ".-")).
+
+%%%===================================================================
+%%% Internal Functions
+%%%===================================================================
+
+compare([Str|TA], [Str|TB]) ->
+    compare(TA, TB);
+compare([StrA|TA], [StrB|TB]) ->
+    fine_compare(split_numeric_alpha(StrA), TA,
+		 split_numeric_alpha(StrB), TB);
+compare([], [Str]) -> 
+    not compare_against_nothing(Str);
+compare([Str], []) -> 
+    compare_against_nothing(Str);
+compare([], [_,_|_]) ->
+    false;
+compare([_,_|_], []) ->
+    true;
+compare([], []) ->
+    false.
+
+compare_against_nothing(Str) ->
+    case split_numeric_alpha(Str) of
+	{_StrDig, ""} -> true;
+	{"", _StrAlpha} -> false;
+	{_StrDig, _StrAlpha} -> true
+    end.
+
+fine_compare({_StrDigA, StrA}, TA, {_StrDigB, _StrB}, _TB) when StrA /= "", TA /= [] ->
+    throw(invalid_version_string);
+fine_compare({_StrDigA, _StrA}, _TA, {_StrDigB, StrB}, TB) when StrB /= "", TB /= [] ->
+    throw(invalid_version_string);
+fine_compare({"", _StrA}, _TA, {StrDigB, _StrB}, _TB) when StrDigB /= "" ->
+    false;
+fine_compare({StrDigA, _StrA}, _TA, {"", _StrB}, _TB) when StrDigA /= "" ->
+    true;
+fine_compare({StrDig, ""}, _TA, {StrDig, StrB}, _TB) when StrB /= "" ->
+    true;
+fine_compare({StrDig, StrA}, _TA, {StrDig, ""}, _TB) when StrA /= "" ->
+    false;
+fine_compare({StrDig, StrA}, _TA, {StrDig, StrB}, _TB) ->
+    StrA > StrB;
+fine_compare({StrDigA, _StrA}, _TA, {StrDigB, _StrB}, _TB) ->
+    list_to_integer(StrDigA) > list_to_integer(StrDigB).
+
+%% In the case of a version sub part with a numeric then an alpha, 
+%% split out the numeric and alpha "24alpha" becomes {"24", "alpha"}
+split_numeric_alpha(RawVsn) ->
+    {Num, Str} = split_numeric_alpha(RawVsn, {"", ""}),
+    {lists:reverse(Num), Str}.
+
+split_numeric_alpha([], Acc) ->
+    Acc;
+split_numeric_alpha([Dig|T], {PatchVsn, PatchStr})
+  when Dig >= $0 andalso Dig =< $9 ->
+    split_numeric_alpha(T, {[Dig|PatchVsn], PatchStr});
+split_numeric_alpha(PatchStr, {PatchVsn, ""}) ->
+    {PatchVsn, PatchStr}.
+
+
+%%%===================================================================
+%%% Test Functions
+%%%===================================================================
+
+-ifndef(NOTEST).
+-include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
+
+split_numeric_alpha_test() ->
+    ?assertMatch({"123", "alpha1"}, split_numeric_alpha("123alpha1")).
+
+compare_versions_test() ->
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1.2.3", "1.2.3alpha")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1.2.3-beta", "1.2.3-alpha")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1-2-3", "1-2-3alpha")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1-2-3", "1-2-3-rc3")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1.2.3beta", "1.2.3alpha")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1.2.4", "1.2.3")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("1.3.3", "1.2.3")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("2.2.3", "1.2.3")),
+    ?assertMatch(true, compare_versions("4.2.3", "3.10.3")),
+    ?assertMatch(false, compare_versions("1.2.3", "2.2.3")),
+    ?assertMatch(false, compare_versions("1.2.2", "1.3.t")),
+    ?assertMatch(false, compare_versions("1.2t", "1.3.t")),
+    ?assertThrow(invalid_version_string, compare_versions("1.b.2", "1.3.4")).
+
+-endif.