diff --git a/src/other/b.b b/src/other/b.b
index 764f5ea..0df792a 100644
--- a/src/other/b.b
+++ b/src/other/b.b
@@ -204,6 +204,27 @@ getcc() {
     error('cc');
 }
 
+getstr() {
+  auto i, c, d;
+
+  i = 1;
+loop:
+  if ((c = mapch('"')) < 0) {
+    number(2048);
+    write('*n');
+    return(i);
+  }
+  if ((d = mapch('"')) < 0) {
+    number(c*512+4);
+    write('*n');
+    return(i);
+  }
+  number(c*512+d);
+  write('*n');
+  i = i+1;
+  goto loop;
+}
+
 mapch(c) {
   extrn peekc;
   auto a;
@@ -262,6 +283,21 @@ case21:
     goto loop;
   }
 
+  if (o==122) { /* string */
+    write('x ');
+    write('.+');
+    write('2*n');
+    write('t ');
+    write('2f');
+    write('*n');
+    write('.+');
+    write('1*n');
+    getstr();
+    write('2:');
+    write('*n');
+    goto loop; 
+  }
+  
   if (o==20) { /* name */
     if (*csym==0) { /* not seen */
       if ((peeksym=symbol())==6) { /* ( */
diff --git a/src/other/brtb.b b/src/other/brtb.b
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3a616c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/other/brtb.b
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/* brtb.b - B run-time library */
+
+char(s, n) {
+  if (n & 1) return ((s[n/2]/512) & 0777);
+  return(s[n/2] & 0777);
+}
+
+lchar(s, n, c) {
+  if (n & 1) s[n/2] = (s[n/2] & 0777) | (c*512);
+  else s[n/2] = (s[n/2] & 0777000) | c;
+}
+
+putstr(s) {
+  auto c, i;
+
+  i = 0;
+  while ((c = char(s,i)) != '*e') {
+    putchr(c);
+    i = i+1;
+  }
+}
+
+/*
+getstr(s) {
+	auto c, i;
+
+  i = 0;
+	while ((c = getch()) != '*n' & c != '*e') {
+		lchar(s,i,c);
+    i = i+1;
+  }
+	lchar(s,i,'*e');
+	return(s);
+}
+*/
+
+putnum(n) {
+  if (n > 9) {
+    putnum(n / 10);
+    n = n % 10;
+  }
+  putchr(n + '0');
+}
+
+printf(fmt,x1,x2,x3,x4,x5,x6,x7,x8,x9) {
+  auto adx, c, i;
+  
+  i = 0;
+  adx = &x1;
+loop:
+  while ((c = char(fmt,i)) != '%') {
+    if (c=='*e')
+      return;
+    putchr(c);
+    i = i+1;
+  }
+  i = i+1;
+  c = char(fmt,i);
+  if (c=='d') {
+    if (*adx < 0) {
+      putchr('-');
+      *adx = -*adx;
+    }  
+    putnum(*adx);
+  } else if (c=='c')
+    putchr(*adx);
+  else if (c=='s')
+    putstr(*adx);
+  else {
+    putchr('%');
+    goto loop;
+  }
+  i = i+1;
+  adx = adx+1;
+  goto loop;
+}
diff --git a/src/other/test.b b/src/other/test.b
index 1997630..d98a735 100644
--- a/src/other/test.b
+++ b/src/other/test.b
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-/* test.b - test program for B run-time library brt.s
+/* test.b - test program for B run-time library brt.s brtb.b
 
    b test.b test.s
+   b brtb.b brtb.s
    echo abcABC > abc
-   perl as7 --out test.out brt.s test.s bi.s
+   perl as7 --out test.out brt.s brtb.s test.s bi.s
    perl a7out test.out
 */
 
@@ -10,7 +11,8 @@ main {
   extrn fname, fin;
   auto ch;
   
-  fin = open(fname, 0);
+/*  fin = open(fname, 0); */
+  fin = open("abc     ", 0);
 
   goto loop;
   while (ch != 04) {
diff --git a/tools/b.c b/tools/b.c
index 81868cc..7a93673 100644
--- a/tools/b.c
+++ b/tools/b.c
@@ -260,6 +260,27 @@ void getcc() {
     error('cc');
 }
 
+getstr() {
+  auto i, c, d;
+
+  i = 1;
+loop:
+  if ((c = mapch('"')) < 0) {
+    number(2048);
+    write('\n');
+    return(i);
+  }
+  if ((d = mapch('"')) < 0) {
+    number(c*512+4);
+    write('\n');
+    return(i);
+  }
+  number(c*512+d);
+  write('\n');
+  i = i+1;
+  goto loop;
+}
+
 mapch(c) {
   extern peekc;
   auto a;
@@ -318,6 +339,21 @@ case21:
     goto loop;
   }
 
+  if (o==122) { /* string */
+    write('x ');
+    write('.+');
+    write('2\n');
+    write('t ');
+    write('2f');
+    write('\n');
+    write('.+');
+    write('1\n');
+    getstr();
+    write('2:');
+    write('\n');
+    goto loop; 
+  }
+
   if (o==20) { /* name */
     if (*csym==0) { /* not seen */
       if ((peeksym=symbol())==6) { /* ( */