diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Lists/stringListOps.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Lists/stringListOps.H
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/Lists/stringListOps.H
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+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright held by original author
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+    Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
+    option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+    Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+
+InNamspace
+    Foam
+
+Description
+    Operations on lists of strings.
+
+SourceFiles
+    stringListOpsTemplates.C
+
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#ifndef stringListOps_H
+#define stringListOps_H
+
+#include "regExp.H"
+#include "labelList.H"
+#include "stringList.H"
+#include "wordReList.H"
+#include "wordReListMatcher.H"
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+namespace Foam
+{
+    // single-string matches:
+
+    //- Return true if string matches one of the regular expressions
+    inline bool findStrings
+    (
+        const wordReListMatcher& matcher,
+        const std::string& str
+    )
+    {
+        return matcher.match(str);
+    }
+
+    // multi-string matches:
+
+    //- Return list indices for matching strings
+    template<class Matcher, class StringType>
+    labelList findMatchingStrings
+    (
+        const Matcher&,
+        const UList<StringType>&,
+        const bool invert=false
+    );
+
+    //- Return list indices for strings matching the regular expression
+    //  Template partial specialization of findMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringType>
+    labelList findStrings
+    (
+        const regExp& re,
+        const UList<StringType>& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return findMatchingStrings(re, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Return list indices for strings matching the regular expression
+    //  Template partial specialization of findMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringType>
+    labelList findStrings
+    (
+        const char* rePattern,
+        const UList<StringType>& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return findStrings(regExp(rePattern), lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Return list indices for strings matching the regular expression
+    //  Template partial specialization of findMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringType>
+    labelList findStrings
+    (
+        const std::string& rePattern,
+        const UList<StringType>& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return findMatchingStrings(regExp(rePattern), lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Return list indices for strings matching the regular expression
+    //  Template partial specialization of findMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringType>
+    labelList findStrings
+    (
+        const wordRe& wre,
+        const UList<StringType>& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return findMatchingStrings(wre, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+
+    //- Return list indices for strings matching one of the regular expression
+    //  Template partial specialization of findMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringType>
+    labelList findStrings
+    (
+        const wordReListMatcher& matcher,
+        const UList<StringType>& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return findMatchingStrings(matcher, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    // subsetting multi-string matches (similar to ListOp):
+
+    //- Extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  optionally invert the match
+    //  eg, to extract all selected elements:
+    //    subsetMatchingStrings<regExp, stringList>(myRegExp, lst);
+    template<class Matcher, class StringListType>
+    StringListType subsetMatchingStrings
+    (
+        const Matcher&,
+        const StringListType&,
+        const bool invert=false
+    );
+
+    //- Extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of subsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    StringListType subsetStrings
+    (
+        const regExp& re,
+        const StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return subsetMatchingStrings(re, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of subsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    StringListType subsetStrings
+    (
+        const char* rePattern,
+        const StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return subsetMatchingStrings(regExp(rePattern), lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of subsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    StringListType subsetStrings
+    (
+        const std::string& rePattern,
+        const StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return subsetMatchingStrings(regExp(rePattern), lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of subsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    StringListType subsetStrings
+    (
+        const wordRe& wre,
+        const StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return subsetMatchingStrings(wre, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of subsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    StringListType subsetStrings
+    (
+        const wordReListMatcher& matcher,
+        const StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        return subsetMatchingStrings(matcher, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+
+    //- Inplace extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  optionally invert the match
+    //  eg, to extract all selected elements:
+    //    inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings<regExp, stringList>(myRegExp, lst);
+    template<class Matcher, class StringListType>
+    void inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings
+    (
+        const Matcher&,
+        StringListType&,
+        const bool invert=false
+    );
+
+    //- Inplace extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    void inplaceSubsetStrings
+    (
+        const regExp& re,
+        StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings(re, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Inplace extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    void inplaceSubsetStrings
+    (
+        const char* rePattern,
+        StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings(regExp(rePattern), lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Inplace extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    void inplaceSubsetStrings
+    (
+        const std::string& rePattern,
+        StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings(regExp(rePattern), lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Inplace extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    void inplaceSubsetStrings
+    (
+        const wordRe& wre,
+        StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings(wre, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+    //- Inplace extract elements of StringList when regular expression matches
+    //  Template partial specialization of inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings
+    template<class StringListType>
+    void inplaceSubsetStrings
+    (
+        const wordReListMatcher& matcher,
+        StringListType& lst,
+        const bool invert=false
+    )
+    {
+        inplaceSubsetMatchingStrings(matcher, lst, invert);
+    }
+
+}
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+#ifdef NoRepository
+#   include "stringListOpsTemplates.C"
+#endif
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+#endif
+
+// ************************************************************************* //