diff --git a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp
index 0fd5778c39b..20aff8baca5 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp
@@ -47,12 +47,6 @@ nsXPIDLString::~nsXPIDLString()
 }
 
 
-nsXPIDLString::operator const PRUnichar*()
-{
-    return mBuf;
-}
-
-
 PRUnichar*
 nsXPIDLString::Copy(const PRUnichar* aString)
 {
@@ -135,12 +129,6 @@ nsXPIDLCString& nsXPIDLCString::operator =(const char* aCString)
 }
 
 
-nsXPIDLCString::operator const char*()
-{
-    return mBuf;
-}
-
-
 char*
 nsXPIDLCString::Copy(const char* aCString)
 {
diff --git a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h
index 6881b6f8d22..925de57670e 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h
+++ b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h
@@ -116,7 +116,29 @@ public:
     /**
      * Return a reference to the immutable Unicode string.
      */
-    operator const PRUnichar*();
+    const PRUnichar*
+    get() const
+      {
+        return mBuf;
+      }
+
+    operator const PRUnichar*() const
+      {
+        return get();
+      }
+
+    PRUnichar
+    operator*() const
+      {
+        return *get();
+      }
+
+    PRUnichar
+    operator[]( long index ) const
+      {
+        return get()[index];
+      }
+    
 
     /**
      * Make a copy of the Unicode string. Use this function in the
@@ -226,7 +248,28 @@ public:
     /**
      * Return a reference to the immutable single-byte string.
      */
-    operator const char*();
+    const char*
+    get() const
+      {
+        return mBuf;
+      }
+
+    operator const char*() const
+      {
+        return get();
+      }
+
+    char
+    operator*() const
+      {
+        return *get();
+      }
+
+    char
+    operator[]( long index ) const
+      {
+        return get()[index];
+      }
 
     /**
      * Make a copy of the single-byte string. Use this function in the
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.cpp b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.cpp
index 0fd5778c39b..20aff8baca5 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.cpp
@@ -47,12 +47,6 @@ nsXPIDLString::~nsXPIDLString()
 }
 
 
-nsXPIDLString::operator const PRUnichar*()
-{
-    return mBuf;
-}
-
-
 PRUnichar*
 nsXPIDLString::Copy(const PRUnichar* aString)
 {
@@ -135,12 +129,6 @@ nsXPIDLCString& nsXPIDLCString::operator =(const char* aCString)
 }
 
 
-nsXPIDLCString::operator const char*()
-{
-    return mBuf;
-}
-
-
 char*
 nsXPIDLCString::Copy(const char* aCString)
 {
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.h b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.h
index 6881b6f8d22..925de57670e 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsXPIDLString.h
@@ -116,7 +116,29 @@ public:
     /**
      * Return a reference to the immutable Unicode string.
      */
-    operator const PRUnichar*();
+    const PRUnichar*
+    get() const
+      {
+        return mBuf;
+      }
+
+    operator const PRUnichar*() const
+      {
+        return get();
+      }
+
+    PRUnichar
+    operator*() const
+      {
+        return *get();
+      }
+
+    PRUnichar
+    operator[]( long index ) const
+      {
+        return get()[index];
+      }
+    
 
     /**
      * Make a copy of the Unicode string. Use this function in the
@@ -226,7 +248,28 @@ public:
     /**
      * Return a reference to the immutable single-byte string.
      */
-    operator const char*();
+    const char*
+    get() const
+      {
+        return mBuf;
+      }
+
+    operator const char*() const
+      {
+        return get();
+      }
+
+    char
+    operator*() const
+      {
+        return *get();
+      }
+
+    char
+    operator[]( long index ) const
+      {
+        return get()[index];
+      }
 
     /**
      * Make a copy of the single-byte string. Use this function in the
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp
index 0fd5778c39b..20aff8baca5 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.cpp
@@ -47,12 +47,6 @@ nsXPIDLString::~nsXPIDLString()
 }
 
 
-nsXPIDLString::operator const PRUnichar*()
-{
-    return mBuf;
-}
-
-
 PRUnichar*
 nsXPIDLString::Copy(const PRUnichar* aString)
 {
@@ -135,12 +129,6 @@ nsXPIDLCString& nsXPIDLCString::operator =(const char* aCString)
 }
 
 
-nsXPIDLCString::operator const char*()
-{
-    return mBuf;
-}
-
-
 char*
 nsXPIDLCString::Copy(const char* aCString)
 {
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h
index 6881b6f8d22..925de57670e 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsXPIDLString.h
@@ -116,7 +116,29 @@ public:
     /**
      * Return a reference to the immutable Unicode string.
      */
-    operator const PRUnichar*();
+    const PRUnichar*
+    get() const
+      {
+        return mBuf;
+      }
+
+    operator const PRUnichar*() const
+      {
+        return get();
+      }
+
+    PRUnichar
+    operator*() const
+      {
+        return *get();
+      }
+
+    PRUnichar
+    operator[]( long index ) const
+      {
+        return get()[index];
+      }
+    
 
     /**
      * Make a copy of the Unicode string. Use this function in the
@@ -226,7 +248,28 @@ public:
     /**
      * Return a reference to the immutable single-byte string.
      */
-    operator const char*();
+    const char*
+    get() const
+      {
+        return mBuf;
+      }
+
+    operator const char*() const
+      {
+        return get();
+      }
+
+    char
+    operator*() const
+      {
+        return *get();
+      }
+
+    char
+    operator[]( long index ) const
+      {
+        return get()[index];
+      }
 
     /**
      * Make a copy of the single-byte string. Use this function in the