diff --git a/tools/slice_array.h b/tools/slice_array.h
index 8de9c4d55..4dde8143b 100644
--- a/tools/slice_array.h
+++ b/tools/slice_array.h
@@ -33,9 +33,20 @@ struct SliceArray
   const T* ptr;
   size_t length;
 
+  /// Initialize to zero length
+  SliceArray() : ptr(0), length(0) {}
+
+  /// Initialize from pointer + length
   SliceArray(const T* _ptr, size_t _length)
     : ptr(_ptr), length(_length) {}
 
+  /// Initialize from null-terminated string
+  SliceArray(const char* str)
+  {
+    ptr = str;
+    length = strlen(str);
+  }
+
   bool operator==(SliceArray &t)
   {
     return
@@ -52,8 +63,7 @@ struct SliceArray
   }
 
   /** This allocates a copy of the data. Only use this for debugging
-      and error messages.
-  */
+      and error messages. */
   std::string toString()
   { return std::string(ptr,length); }
 };
diff --git a/tools/tests/.gitignore b/tools/tests/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..814490404
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*_test
diff --git a/tools/tests/Makefile b/tools/tests/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8791154bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+GCC=g++
+
+all: strops_test slice_test
+
+slice_test: slice_test.cpp ../slice_array.h
+	$(GCC) $< -o $@
+
+strops_test: strops_test.cpp ../stringops.h ../stringops.cpp
+	$(GCC) $< -o $@ ../stringops.cpp
+
+clean:
+	rm *_test
diff --git a/tools/tests/output/slice_test.out b/tools/tests/output/slice_test.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b054082b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/output/slice_test.out
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+hello, len=5
+001
+hell, len=4
+010
+01
+4 3
diff --git a/tools/tests/output/strops_test.out b/tools/tests/output/strops_test.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tools/tests/slice_test.cpp b/tools/tests/slice_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff60d2c96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/slice_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+using namespace std;
+
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include "../slice_array.h"
+
+int main()
+{
+  SString s, t;
+  s = SString("hello");
+  cout << s.toString() << ", len=" << s.length << endl;
+  cout << (s=="hel") << (s=="hell") << (s=="hello") << endl;
+  t = s;
+
+  s = SString("othello"+2, 4);
+  cout << s.toString() << ", len=" << s.length << endl;
+  cout << (s=="hel") << (s=="hell") << (s=="hello") << endl;
+
+  cout << (s==t) << (SString("hello")==t) << endl;
+
+  const int arr[4] = {1,2,3,4};
+
+  IntArray ia(arr,4);
+
+  cout << ia.length << " " << ia.ptr[2] << endl;
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/tests/strops_test.cpp b/tools/tests/strops_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8991f5623
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/strops_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include "../stringops.h"
+
+int main()
+{
+  assert(begins("abc", "a"));
+  assert(begins("abc", "ab"));
+  assert(begins("abc", "abc"));
+  assert(begins("abcd", "abc"));
+
+  assert(!begins("abc", "b"));
+  assert(!begins("abc", "bc"));
+  assert(!begins("abc", "bcd"));
+  assert(!begins("abc", "abcd"));
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/tests/test.sh b/tools/tests/test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b1ca6f1a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tests/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+make || exit
+
+mkdir -p output
+
+PROGS=*_test
+
+for a in $PROGS; do
+    if [ -f "output/$a.out" ]; then
+        echo "Running $a:"
+        $a | diff output/$a.out -
+    else
+        echo "Creating $a.out"
+        $a > "output/$a.out"
+        git add "output/$a.out"
+    fi
+done