--- a/include/animone/util.h	Sun Feb 09 23:15:55 2025 -0500
+++ b/include/animone/util.h	Sun Feb 09 23:18:57 2025 -0500
@@ -1,25 +1,89 @@
 #ifndef ANIMONE_ANIMONE_UTIL_H_
 #define ANIMONE_ANIMONE_UTIL_H_
 
-#include <sstream>
-#include <string>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
 
-namespace animone::internal::util {
+int animone_internal_util_ReadFile(const char *path, char **data, size_t *size);
+int animone_internal_util_EqualStrings(const char *str1, const char *str2);
+char *animone_internal_util_Stem(const char *filename);
+int animone_internal_util_CheckPattern(const char *pattern, const char *str);
+int animone_internal_util_TrimLeft(char *str, const char* chars);
+int animone_internal_util_TrimRight(char *str, const char* chars);
+
+intmax_t animone_internal_util_StringToInt(const char *ptr, intmax_t def);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
 
-bool ReadFile(const std::string& path, std::string& data);
-bool EqualStrings(const std::string& str1, const std::string& str2);
-bool Stem(const std::string& filename, std::string& stem);
-bool CheckPattern(const std::string& pattern, const std::string& str);
-bool TrimLeft(std::string& str, const char* chars);
-bool TrimRight(std::string& str, const char* chars);
+#include <string>
+#include <cstdlib>
+
+namespace animone {
+namespace internal {
+namespace util {
 
-template<typename T = int, std::enable_if_t<std::is_integral<T>::value, bool> = true>
-T StringToInt(const std::string& str, T def = 0) {
-	std::istringstream s(str);
-	s >> std::noboolalpha >> def;
-	return def;
+// Compatibility bindings, to keep the existing C++ code working
+inline bool ReadFile(const std::string &path, std::string &data)
+{
+	char *data_c;
+	size_t size_c;
+
+	int x = ::animone_internal_util_ReadFile(path.c_str(), &data_c, &size_c);
+
+	data.assign(data_c, size_c);
+
+	std::free(data_c);
+
+	return static_cast<bool>(x);
 }
 
-} // namespace animone::internal::util
+inline bool EqualStrings(const std::string &str1, const std::string &str2)
+{
+	return static_cast<bool>(::animone_internal_util_EqualStrings(str1.c_str(), str2.c_str()));
+}
+
+inline bool Stem(const std::string &filename, std::string &stem)
+{
+	char *stem_c = ::animone_internal_util_Stem(filename.c_str());
+	if (!stem_c)
+		return 0;
+
+	stem.assign(stem_c);
+
+	std::free(stem_c);
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+inline bool CheckPattern(const std::string &pattern, const std::string &str)
+{
+	return static_cast<bool>(::animone_internal_util_CheckPattern(pattern.c_str(), str.c_str()));
+}
+
+inline bool TrimLeft(std::string &str, const char *chars)
+{
+	return ::animone_internal_util_TrimLeft(str.data(), chars);
+}
+
+inline bool TrimRight(std::string &str, const char* chars)
+{
+	return ::animone_internal_util_TrimRight(str.data(), chars);
+}
+
+inline intmax_t StringToInt(const std::string &ptr, intmax_t def)
+{
+	return ::animone_internal_util_StringToInt(ptr.c_str(), def);
+}
+
+} // namespace util
+} // namespace internal
+} // namespace animone
+
+#endif
 
 #endif // ANIMONE_ANIMONE_UTIL_H_