diff --git a/engine/Configuration.cpp b/engine/Configuration.cpp
index 2c618459..af285d3b 100644
--- a/engine/Configuration.cpp
+++ b/engine/Configuration.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ int Configuration::getIntValue(const String& sect, const String& key, const Toke
     return s ? s->toInteger(tokens,defvalue) : defvalue;
 }
 
+double Configuration::getDoubleValue(const String& sect, const String& key, double defvalue) const
+{
+    const NamedString *s = getKey(sect,key);
+    return s ? s->toDouble(defvalue) : defvalue;
+}
+
 bool Configuration::getBoolValue(const String& sect, const String& key, bool defvalue) const
 {
     const NamedString *s = getKey(sect,key);
diff --git a/engine/NamedList.cpp b/engine/NamedList.cpp
index db7c91f3..317cb058 100644
--- a/engine/NamedList.cpp
+++ b/engine/NamedList.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,12 @@ int NamedList::getIntValue(const String& name, const TokenDict* tokens, int defv
     return s ? s->toInteger(tokens,defvalue) : defvalue;
 }
 
+double NamedList::getDoubleValue(const String& name, double defvalue) const
+{
+    const NamedString *s = getParam(name);
+    return s ? s->toDouble(defvalue) : defvalue;
+}
+
 bool NamedList::getBoolValue(const String& name, bool defvalue) const
 {
     const NamedString *s = getParam(name);
diff --git a/engine/String.cpp b/engine/String.cpp
index d9e41d7f..27998722 100644
--- a/engine/String.cpp
+++ b/engine/String.cpp
@@ -339,6 +339,17 @@ int String::toInteger(const TokenDict* tokens, int defvalue, int base) const
     return toInteger(defvalue,base);
 }
 
+double String::toDouble(double defvalue) const
+{
+    if (!m_string)
+	return defvalue;
+    char *eptr = 0;
+    double val= ::strtod(m_string,&eptr);
+    if (!eptr || *eptr)
+	return defvalue;
+    return val;
+}
+
 static const char* str_false[] = { "false", "no", "off", "disable", 0 };
 static const char* str_true[] = { "true", "yes", "on", "enable", 0 };
 
@@ -641,7 +652,7 @@ int String::rfind(char what) const
     return s ? s-m_string : -1;
 }
 
-bool String::startsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak) const
+bool String::startsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak, bool caseInsensitive) const
 {
     if (!(m_string && what && *what))
 	return false;
@@ -650,12 +661,15 @@ bool String::startsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak) const
 	return false;
     else if (wordBreak && (m_length > l) && !isWordBreak(m_string[l]))
 	return false;
+
+    if (caseInsensitive)
+	return (::strncasecmp(m_string,what,l) == 0);
     return (::strncmp(m_string,what,l) == 0);
 }
 
-bool String::startSkip(const char* what, bool wordBreak)
+bool String::startSkip(const char* what, bool wordBreak, bool caseInsensitive)
 {
-    if (startsWith(what,wordBreak)) {
+    if (startsWith(what,wordBreak,caseInsensitive)) {
 	const char *p = m_string + ::strlen(what);
 	if (wordBreak)
 	    while (isWordBreak(*p))
@@ -666,7 +680,7 @@ bool String::startSkip(const char* what, bool wordBreak)
     return false;
 }
 
-bool String::endsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak) const
+bool String::endsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak, bool caseInsensitive) const
 {
     if (!(m_string && what && *what))
 	return false;
@@ -675,6 +689,8 @@ bool String::endsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak) const
 	return false;
     else if (wordBreak && (m_length > l) && !isWordBreak(m_string[m_length-l-1]))
 	return false;
+    if (caseInsensitive)
+	return (::strncasecmp(m_string+m_length-l,what,l) == 0);
     return (::strncmp(m_string+m_length-l,what,l) == 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/yateclass.h b/yateclass.h
index a20fccc7..c17f52ac 100644
--- a/yateclass.h
+++ b/yateclass.h
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ typedef unsigned long in_addr_t;
 #define strcasecmp _stricmp
 #endif
 
+#ifndef strncasecmp
+#define strncasecmp _strnicmp
+#endif
+
 #define vsnprintf _vsnprintf
 #define snprintf _snprintf
 #define strdup _strdup
@@ -1192,6 +1196,13 @@ public:
      */
     int toInteger(const TokenDict* tokens, int defvalue = 0, int base = 0) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Convert the string to a floating point value.
+     * @param defvalue Default to return if the string is not a number
+     * @return The floating-point interpretation or defvalue.
+     */
+    double toDouble(double defvalue = 0.0) const;
+
     /**
      * Convert the string to a boolean value.
      * @param defvalue Default to return if the string is not a bool
@@ -1426,17 +1437,19 @@ public:
      * Checks if the string starts with a substring
      * @param what Substring to search for
      * @param wordBreak Check if a word boundary follows the substring
+     * @param caseInsensitive Compare case-insensitive if set
      * @return True if the substring occurs at the beginning of the string
      */
-    bool startsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak = false) const;
+    bool startsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak = false, bool caseInsensitive = false) const;
 
     /**
      * Checks if the string ends with a substring
      * @param what Substring to search for
      * @param wordBreak Check if a word boundary precedes the substring
+     * @param caseInsensitive Compare case-insensitive if set
      * @return True if the substring occurs at the end of the string
      */
-    bool endsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak = false) const;
+    bool endsWith(const char* what, bool wordBreak = false, bool caseInsensitive = false) const;
 
     /**
      * Checks if the string starts with a substring and removes it
@@ -1444,11 +1457,12 @@ public:
      * @param wordBreak Check if a word boundary follows the substring;
      *  this parameter defaults to True because the intended use of this
      *  method is to separate commands from their parameters
+     * @param caseInsensitive Compare case-insensitive if set
      * @return True if the substring occurs at the beginning of the string
      *  and also removes the substring; if wordBreak is True any word
      *  breaking characters are also removed
      */
-    bool startSkip(const char* what, bool wordBreak = true);
+    bool startSkip(const char* what, bool wordBreak = true, bool caseInsensitive = false);
 
     /**
      * Checks if matches another string
@@ -2461,6 +2475,14 @@ public:
      */
     int getIntValue(const String& name, const TokenDict* tokens, int defvalue = 0) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Retrive the floating point value of a parameter.
+     * @param name Name of parameter to locate
+     * @param defvalue Default value to return if not found
+     * @return The number contained in the named parameter or the default
+     */
+    double getDoubleValue(const String& name, double defvalue = 0.0) const;
+
     /**
      * Retrive the boolean value of a parameter.
      * @param name Name of parameter to locate
diff --git a/yatengine.h b/yatengine.h
index 712fa189..4a12e902 100644
--- a/yatengine.h
+++ b/yatengine.h
@@ -117,6 +117,15 @@ public:
      */
     int getIntValue(const String& sect, const String& key, const TokenDict* tokens, int defvalue = 0) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Retrive the floating point value of a key in a section.
+     * @param sect Name of the section
+     * @param key Name of the key in section
+     * @param defvalue Default value to return if not found
+     * @return The numeric value contained in the key or the default
+     */
+    double getDoubleValue(const String& sect, const String& key, double defvalue = 0.0) const;
+
     /**
      * Retrive the boolean value of a key in a section.
      * @param sect Name of the section