2 files changed, 34 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/membuffer.c b/membuffer.c
index c7d2bbdd2..2889a0cdc 100644
--- a/membuffer.c
+++ b/membuffer.c
@@ -6,12 +6,18 @@
 #include "dive.h"
 #include "membuffer.h"
 
-void free_buffer(struct membuffer *b)
+char *detach_buffer(struct membuffer *b)
 {
-	free(b->buffer);
+	char *result = b->buffer;
 	b->buffer = NULL;
 	b->len = 0;
 	b->alloc = 0;
+	return result;
+}
+
+void free_buffer(struct membuffer *b)
+{
+	free(detach_buffer(b));
 }
 
 void flush_buffer(struct membuffer *b, FILE *f)
@@ -100,6 +106,26 @@ void put_vformat(struct membuffer *b, const char *fmt, va_list args)
 	}
 }
 
+/* Silly helper using membuffer */
+char *vformat_string(const char *fmt, va_list args)
+{
+	struct membuffer mb = { 0 };
+	put_vformat(&mb, fmt, args);
+	mb_cstring(&mb);
+	return detach_buffer(&mb);
+}
+
+char *format_string(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list args;
+	char *result;
+
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	result = vformat_string(fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+	return result;
+}
+
 void put_format(struct membuffer *b, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	va_list args;
diff --git a/membuffer.h b/membuffer.h
index c0a4f6029..434b34c71 100644
--- a/membuffer.h
+++ b/membuffer.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ struct membuffer {
 #define __printf(x, y)
 #endif
 
+extern char *detach_buffer(struct membuffer *b);
 extern void free_buffer(struct membuffer *);
 extern void flush_buffer(struct membuffer *, FILE *);
 extern void put_bytes(struct membuffer *, const char *, int);
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ extern __printf(2, 3) void put_format(struct membuffer *, const char *fmt, ...);
 extern __printf(2, 0) char *add_to_string_va(const char *old, const char *fmt, va_list args);
 extern __printf(2, 3) char *add_to_string(const char *old, const char *fmt, ...);
 
+/* Helpers that use membuffers internally */
+extern __printf(1, 0) char *vformat_string(const char *, va_list);
+extern __printf(1, 2) char *format_string(const char *, ...);
+
+
 /* Output one of our "milli" values with type and pre/post data */
 extern void put_milli(struct membuffer *, const char *, int, const char *);