diff --git a/func/bash-to-php-interpreter.php b/func/bash-to-php-interpreter.php
index e780d41c..461c1af0 100644
--- a/func/bash-to-php-interpreter.php
+++ b/func/bash-to-php-interpreter.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ if (!function_exists($func)) {
 
 $params=array();
 
+if ($myvesta_stdin!='') $params[]=$myvesta_stdin;
 for ($i=2; $i<$counter; $i++) {
     $argv[$i]=myvesta_fix_backslashes($argv[$i]);
     $params[]=$argv[$i];
diff --git a/func/string.php b/func/string.php
index ffc7bf68..69881c8f 100644
--- a/func/string.php
+++ b/func/string.php
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ function myvesta_find_in_file($file, $find, $quiet=false) {
         if ($quiet) return false;
         return myvesta_throw_error (MYVESTA_ERROR_FILE_DOES_NOT_EXISTS, "File '$file' not found");
     }
-    
+
     $buf=file_get_contents($file);
 
     $pos=strpos($buf, $find);
@@ -74,23 +74,8 @@ function myvesta_strip_in_file_between_including_borders($file, $left, $right) {
 
 // --- string functions ---
 
-function myvesta_str_get_between () {
-    global $myvesta_stdin, $myvesta_str_found_at, $myvesta_str_end_at;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
-    $args_i++; $left_substring=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $right_substring=$args[$args_i]; 
-    $args_i++; $start=0; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $start=intval($args[$args_i]);
-    $args_i++; $return_left_substring=0; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $return_left_substring=intval($args[$args_i]);
-    $args_i++; $return_right_substring=0; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $return_right_substring=intval($args[$args_i]);
-    $args_i++; $left_substring_necessary=1; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $left_substring_necessary=intval($args[$args_i]);
-    $args_i++; $right_substring_necessary=1; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $right_substring_necessary=intval($args[$args_i]);
-
+function myvesta_str_get_between (&$text, $left_substring, $right_substring, $start=0, $return_left_substring=0, $return_right_substring=0, $left_substring_necessary=1, $right_substring_necessary=1) {
+    global $myvesta_str_found_at, $myvesta_str_end_at;
     $myvesta_str_found_at=0;
     $myvesta_str_end_at=0;
     $from_null=0;
@@ -124,19 +109,7 @@ function myvesta_str_get_between () {
     return substr($text, $pos1, $len);
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_replace_once_between_including_borders() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
-    $args_i++; $left=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $right=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $replace_with=$args[$args_i];
-
+function myvesta_str_replace_once_between_including_borders(&$text, $left, $right, $replace_with) {
     $pos1=strpos($text, $left);
     if ($pos1===false) return $text;
     $pos2=strpos($text, $right, $pos1+strlen($left));
@@ -144,18 +117,7 @@ function myvesta_str_replace_once_between_including_borders() {
     return substr($text, 0, $pos1).$replace_with.substr($text, $pos2+strlen($right));
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_strip_once_between_including_borders() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
-    $args_i++; $left=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $right=$args[$args_i];
-
+function myvesta_str_strip_once_between_including_borders(&$text, $left, $right) {
     $pos1=strpos($text, $left);
     if ($pos1===false) return $text;
     $pos2=strpos($text, $right, $pos1+strlen($left));
@@ -163,19 +125,7 @@ function myvesta_str_strip_once_between_including_borders() {
     return substr($text, 0, $pos1).substr($text, $pos2+strlen($right));
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_replace_between_including_borders() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
-    $args_i++; $left=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $right=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $replace_with=$args[$args_i];
-
+function myvesta_str_replace_between_including_borders($text, $left, $right, $replace_with) {
     $start=0;
     $left_len=strlen($left);
     $right_len=strlen($right);
@@ -189,7 +139,7 @@ function myvesta_str_replace_between_including_borders() {
     return $text;
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_strip_between_including_borders() {
+function myvesta_str_strip_between_including_borders($text, $left, $right) {
     global $myvesta_stdin;
     $args=func_get_args();
     $args_i=-1;
@@ -213,60 +163,22 @@ function myvesta_str_strip_between_including_borders() {
     return $text;
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_find() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
-    $args_i++; $find=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $quiet=false; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $quiet=boolval($args[$args_i]);
-
+function myvesta_str_find($text, $find, $quiet=false) {
     $pos=strpos($text, $find);
     if ($pos===false) return myvesta_throw_error (MYVESTA_ERROR_STRING_NOT_FOUND, "");
     if ($quiet) return true;
     return $pos;
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_uppercase() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
+function myvesta_str_uppercase($text) {
     return strtoupper($text);
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_lowercase() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
+function myvesta_str_lowercase($text) {
     return strtolower($text);
 }
 
-function myvesta_str_substring() {
-    global $myvesta_stdin;
-    $args=func_get_args();
-    $args_i=-1;
-    if ($myvesta_stdin!='') {
-        $text=$myvesta_stdin;
-    } else {
-        $args_i++; $text=$args[$args_i];
-    }
-    $args_i++; $start=$args[$args_i];
-    $args_i++; $length=null; if (!empty($args[$args_i])) $length=intval($args[$args_i]);
-    
+function myvesta_str_substring($text, $start, $length=null) {
     if ($length===null) return substr($text, $start);
     if ($length!==null) return substr($text, $start, $length);
 }