diff --git a/src/libCom/epicsString.c b/src/libCom/epicsString.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f402c2a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libCom/epicsString.c
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*epicsString.c*/
+/*Authors: Noboru Yamamoto and Marty Kraimer*/
+/*****************************************************************
+                          COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION
+*****************************************************************
+ 
+(C)  COPYRIGHT 1993 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
+ 
+This software was developed under a United States Government license
+described on the COPYRIGHT_UniversityOfChicago file included as part
+of this distribution.
+**********************************************************************/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+int dbTranslateEscape(char *to, const char *from)
+{
+    const char *pfrom  = from;
+    char       *pto = to;
+    char        c;
+    int         nto=0;
+
+    while( c = *pfrom++ ){
+	if(c=='\\') {
+          switch( *pfrom ){
+          case 'a':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\a' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'b':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\b' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'f':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\f' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'n':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\n' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'r':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\r' ; nto++; break;
+          case 't':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\t' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'v':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\v' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\\': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\\' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\?': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\?' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\'': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\'' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\"': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\"' ; nto++; break;
+          case '0' :case '1' :case '2' :case '3' :
+          case '4' :case '5' :case '6' :case '7' :
+            {
+		int  i;
+		char strval[4] = {0,0,0,0};
+		int  ival;
+		unsigned char *pchar;
+
+		for(i=0; i<3; i++) {
+		    if((*pfrom < '0') || (*pfrom > '7')) break;
+		    strval[i] = *pfrom++;
+		}
+		sscanf(strval,"%o",&ival);
+		pchar = (unsigned char *)(pto++); nto++;
+		*pchar = (unsigned char)(ival);
+            }
+            break;
+          case 'x' :
+            {
+		int  i;
+		char strval[3] = {0,0,0};
+		int  ival;
+		unsigned char *pchar;
+
+                pfrom++; /*skip the x*/
+		for(i=0; i<2; i++) {
+		    if(!isxdigit(*pfrom)) break;
+		    strval[i] = *pfrom++;
+		}
+		sscanf(strval,"%x",&ival);
+		pchar = (unsigned char *)(pto++); nto++;
+		*pchar = (unsigned char)(ival);
+            }
+            break;
+          default:
+            *pto++ = *pfrom++;
+          }
+        } else {
+	    *pto++ = c; nto++;
+        }
+    }
+    *pto = '\0'; /*NOTE that nto does not have to be incremented*/
+    return(nto);
+}
diff --git a/src/libCom/epicsString.h b/src/libCom/epicsString.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ca4597d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libCom/epicsString.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*epicsString.h*/
+/*Authors: Noboru Yamamoto and Marty Kraimer*/
+/*****************************************************************
+                          COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION
+*****************************************************************
+ 
+(C)  COPYRIGHT 1993 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
+ 
+This software was developed under a United States Government license
+described on the COPYRIGHT_UniversityOfChicago file included as part
+of this distribution.
+**********************************************************************/
+
+/* int dbTranslateEscape(char *s,const char *ct);
+ *
+ * copies ct to s while substituting escape sequences
+ * returns the length of the resultant string (may contain nulls)
+*/
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+int dbTranslateEscape(char *s,const char *ct);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
diff --git a/src/libCom/misc/epicsString.c b/src/libCom/misc/epicsString.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f402c2a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libCom/misc/epicsString.c
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*epicsString.c*/
+/*Authors: Noboru Yamamoto and Marty Kraimer*/
+/*****************************************************************
+                          COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION
+*****************************************************************
+ 
+(C)  COPYRIGHT 1993 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
+ 
+This software was developed under a United States Government license
+described on the COPYRIGHT_UniversityOfChicago file included as part
+of this distribution.
+**********************************************************************/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+int dbTranslateEscape(char *to, const char *from)
+{
+    const char *pfrom  = from;
+    char       *pto = to;
+    char        c;
+    int         nto=0;
+
+    while( c = *pfrom++ ){
+	if(c=='\\') {
+          switch( *pfrom ){
+          case 'a':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\a' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'b':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\b' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'f':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\f' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'n':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\n' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'r':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\r' ; nto++; break;
+          case 't':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\t' ; nto++; break;
+          case 'v':  pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\v' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\\': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\\' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\?': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\?' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\'': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\'' ; nto++; break;
+          case '\"': pfrom++;  *pto++ = '\"' ; nto++; break;
+          case '0' :case '1' :case '2' :case '3' :
+          case '4' :case '5' :case '6' :case '7' :
+            {
+		int  i;
+		char strval[4] = {0,0,0,0};
+		int  ival;
+		unsigned char *pchar;
+
+		for(i=0; i<3; i++) {
+		    if((*pfrom < '0') || (*pfrom > '7')) break;
+		    strval[i] = *pfrom++;
+		}
+		sscanf(strval,"%o",&ival);
+		pchar = (unsigned char *)(pto++); nto++;
+		*pchar = (unsigned char)(ival);
+            }
+            break;
+          case 'x' :
+            {
+		int  i;
+		char strval[3] = {0,0,0};
+		int  ival;
+		unsigned char *pchar;
+
+                pfrom++; /*skip the x*/
+		for(i=0; i<2; i++) {
+		    if(!isxdigit(*pfrom)) break;
+		    strval[i] = *pfrom++;
+		}
+		sscanf(strval,"%x",&ival);
+		pchar = (unsigned char *)(pto++); nto++;
+		*pchar = (unsigned char)(ival);
+            }
+            break;
+          default:
+            *pto++ = *pfrom++;
+          }
+        } else {
+	    *pto++ = c; nto++;
+        }
+    }
+    *pto = '\0'; /*NOTE that nto does not have to be incremented*/
+    return(nto);
+}
diff --git a/src/libCom/misc/epicsString.h b/src/libCom/misc/epicsString.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ca4597d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libCom/misc/epicsString.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*epicsString.h*/
+/*Authors: Noboru Yamamoto and Marty Kraimer*/
+/*****************************************************************
+                          COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION
+*****************************************************************
+ 
+(C)  COPYRIGHT 1993 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
+ 
+This software was developed under a United States Government license
+described on the COPYRIGHT_UniversityOfChicago file included as part
+of this distribution.
+**********************************************************************/
+
+/* int dbTranslateEscape(char *s,const char *ct);
+ *
+ * copies ct to s while substituting escape sequences
+ * returns the length of the resultant string (may contain nulls)
+*/
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+int dbTranslateEscape(char *s,const char *ct);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+