--- /dev/null
+#ifndef __VIENNA_RNA_PACKAGE_STRING_DIST_H__
+#define __VIENNA_RNA_PACKAGE_STRING_DIST_H__
+
+/**
+ * \file stringdist.h
+ * \brief Functions for String Alignment
+ */
+
+#include "dist_vars.h"
+
+
+/**
+ * \brief Convert a structure into a format suitable for string_edit_distance().
+ *
+ * \param string
+ * \return
+ */
+swString *Make_swString(char *string);
+
+/**
+ * \brief Calculate the string edit distance of T1 and T2.
+ *
+ * \param T1
+ * \param T2
+ * \return
+ */
+float string_edit_distance( swString *T1,
+ swString *T2);
+
+#endif