diff --git a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp
index 5ff611de647..78e901c9589 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp
@@ -1881,6 +1881,12 @@ nsCAutoString::nsCAutoString( const nsCString& aString ) : nsCString(){
 }
 
 
+nsCAutoString::nsCAutoString(const char* aCString) : nsCString() {
+  Initialize(*this,mBuffer,sizeof(mBuffer)-1,0,eOneByte,PR_FALSE);
+  AddNullTerminator(*this);
+  Append(aCString);
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy construct from ascii c-string
  * @param   aCString is a ptr to a 1-byte cstr
diff --git a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.h b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.h
index 7752c072204..34a9f2fa788 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.h
+++ b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString.h
@@ -815,7 +815,8 @@ public:
 
     nsCAutoString();
     nsCAutoString(const nsCString& );
-    nsCAutoString(const char* aString,PRInt32 aLength=-1);
+    nsCAutoString(const char* aString);
+    nsCAutoString(const char* aString,PRInt32 aLength);
     nsCAutoString(const CBufDescriptor& aBuffer);
 
 #ifndef NEW_STRING_APIS
diff --git a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp
index 74b69994554..ec2550ee8cd 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp
@@ -2281,6 +2281,12 @@ nsAutoString::nsAutoString() : nsString() {
   AddNullTerminator(*this);
 }
 
+nsAutoString::nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString) : nsString() {
+  Initialize(*this,mBuffer,(sizeof(mBuffer)>>eTwoByte)-1,0,eTwoByte,PR_FALSE);
+  AddNullTerminator(*this);
+  Append(aString);
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy construct from uni-string
  * @param   aString is a ptr to a unistr
diff --git a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.h b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.h
index 15b7e27379d..4ff21f6c9e8 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.h
+++ b/mozilla/string/obsolete/nsString2.h
@@ -908,7 +908,8 @@ public:
     nsAutoString();
     nsAutoString(const nsAutoString& aString);
     nsAutoString(const nsString& aString);
-    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString,PRInt32 aLength=-1);
+    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString);
+    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString,PRInt32 aLength);
     nsAutoString(PRUnichar aChar);
     nsAutoString(const CBufDescriptor& aBuffer);    
 
diff --git a/mozilla/string/public/nsAReadableString.h b/mozilla/string/public/nsAReadableString.h
index 83cceeabcf8..510623aff25 100644
--- a/mozilla/string/public/nsAReadableString.h
+++ b/mozilla/string/public/nsAReadableString.h
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ class basic_nsLiteralString
           if ( aLength == PRUint32(-1) )
             {
 //            NS_WARNING("Tell scc: Caller constructing a string doesn't know the real length.  Please use the other constructor.");
-              mEnd = mStart + nsCharTraits<CharT>::length(mStart);
+              mEnd = mStart ? (mStart + nsCharTraits<CharT>::length(mStart)) : mStart;
             }
         }
 
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ copy_string_backward( InputIterator first, InputIterator last, OutputIterator re
 
         NS_ASSERTION(lengthToCopy, "|copy_string_backward| will never terminate");
 
-        nsCharTraits<OutputIterator::value_type>::move(result.operator->()-lengthToCopy, last.operator->()-lengthToCopy, lengthToCopy);
+        nsCharTraits<typename OutputIterator::value_type>::move(result.operator->()-lengthToCopy, last.operator->()-lengthToCopy, lengthToCopy);
 
         last -= PRInt32(lengthToCopy);
         result -= PRInt32(lengthToCopy);
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsAReadableString.h b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsAReadableString.h
index 83cceeabcf8..510623aff25 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsAReadableString.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsAReadableString.h
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ class basic_nsLiteralString
           if ( aLength == PRUint32(-1) )
             {
 //            NS_WARNING("Tell scc: Caller constructing a string doesn't know the real length.  Please use the other constructor.");
-              mEnd = mStart + nsCharTraits<CharT>::length(mStart);
+              mEnd = mStart ? (mStart + nsCharTraits<CharT>::length(mStart)) : mStart;
             }
         }
 
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ copy_string_backward( InputIterator first, InputIterator last, OutputIterator re
 
         NS_ASSERTION(lengthToCopy, "|copy_string_backward| will never terminate");
 
-        nsCharTraits<OutputIterator::value_type>::move(result.operator->()-lengthToCopy, last.operator->()-lengthToCopy, lengthToCopy);
+        nsCharTraits<typename OutputIterator::value_type>::move(result.operator->()-lengthToCopy, last.operator->()-lengthToCopy, lengthToCopy);
 
         last -= PRInt32(lengthToCopy);
         result -= PRInt32(lengthToCopy);
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.cpp b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.cpp
index 5ff611de647..78e901c9589 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.cpp
@@ -1881,6 +1881,12 @@ nsCAutoString::nsCAutoString( const nsCString& aString ) : nsCString(){
 }
 
 
+nsCAutoString::nsCAutoString(const char* aCString) : nsCString() {
+  Initialize(*this,mBuffer,sizeof(mBuffer)-1,0,eOneByte,PR_FALSE);
+  AddNullTerminator(*this);
+  Append(aCString);
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy construct from ascii c-string
  * @param   aCString is a ptr to a 1-byte cstr
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.h b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.h
index 7752c072204..34a9f2fa788 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString.h
@@ -815,7 +815,8 @@ public:
 
     nsCAutoString();
     nsCAutoString(const nsCString& );
-    nsCAutoString(const char* aString,PRInt32 aLength=-1);
+    nsCAutoString(const char* aString);
+    nsCAutoString(const char* aString,PRInt32 aLength);
     nsCAutoString(const CBufDescriptor& aBuffer);
 
 #ifndef NEW_STRING_APIS
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.cpp b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.cpp
index 74b69994554..ec2550ee8cd 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.cpp
@@ -2281,6 +2281,12 @@ nsAutoString::nsAutoString() : nsString() {
   AddNullTerminator(*this);
 }
 
+nsAutoString::nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString) : nsString() {
+  Initialize(*this,mBuffer,(sizeof(mBuffer)>>eTwoByte)-1,0,eTwoByte,PR_FALSE);
+  AddNullTerminator(*this);
+  Append(aString);
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy construct from uni-string
  * @param   aString is a ptr to a unistr
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.h b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.h
index 15b7e27379d..4ff21f6c9e8 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/ds/nsString2.h
@@ -908,7 +908,8 @@ public:
     nsAutoString();
     nsAutoString(const nsAutoString& aString);
     nsAutoString(const nsString& aString);
-    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString,PRInt32 aLength=-1);
+    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString);
+    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString,PRInt32 aLength);
     nsAutoString(PRUnichar aChar);
     nsAutoString(const CBufDescriptor& aBuffer);    
 
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp
index 5ff611de647..78e901c9589 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.cpp
@@ -1881,6 +1881,12 @@ nsCAutoString::nsCAutoString( const nsCString& aString ) : nsCString(){
 }
 
 
+nsCAutoString::nsCAutoString(const char* aCString) : nsCString() {
+  Initialize(*this,mBuffer,sizeof(mBuffer)-1,0,eOneByte,PR_FALSE);
+  AddNullTerminator(*this);
+  Append(aCString);
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy construct from ascii c-string
  * @param   aCString is a ptr to a 1-byte cstr
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.h b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.h
index 7752c072204..34a9f2fa788 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString.h
@@ -815,7 +815,8 @@ public:
 
     nsCAutoString();
     nsCAutoString(const nsCString& );
-    nsCAutoString(const char* aString,PRInt32 aLength=-1);
+    nsCAutoString(const char* aString);
+    nsCAutoString(const char* aString,PRInt32 aLength);
     nsCAutoString(const CBufDescriptor& aBuffer);
 
 #ifndef NEW_STRING_APIS
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp
index 74b69994554..ec2550ee8cd 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.cpp
@@ -2281,6 +2281,12 @@ nsAutoString::nsAutoString() : nsString() {
   AddNullTerminator(*this);
 }
 
+nsAutoString::nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString) : nsString() {
+  Initialize(*this,mBuffer,(sizeof(mBuffer)>>eTwoByte)-1,0,eTwoByte,PR_FALSE);
+  AddNullTerminator(*this);
+  Append(aString);
+}
+
 /**
  * Copy construct from uni-string
  * @param   aString is a ptr to a unistr
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.h b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.h
index 15b7e27379d..4ff21f6c9e8 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/obsolete/nsString2.h
@@ -908,7 +908,8 @@ public:
     nsAutoString();
     nsAutoString(const nsAutoString& aString);
     nsAutoString(const nsString& aString);
-    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString,PRInt32 aLength=-1);
+    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString);
+    nsAutoString(const PRUnichar* aString,PRInt32 aLength);
     nsAutoString(PRUnichar aChar);
     nsAutoString(const CBufDescriptor& aBuffer);    
 
diff --git a/mozilla/xpcom/string/public/nsAReadableString.h b/mozilla/xpcom/string/public/nsAReadableString.h
index 83cceeabcf8..510623aff25 100644
--- a/mozilla/xpcom/string/public/nsAReadableString.h
+++ b/mozilla/xpcom/string/public/nsAReadableString.h
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ class basic_nsLiteralString
           if ( aLength == PRUint32(-1) )
             {
 //            NS_WARNING("Tell scc: Caller constructing a string doesn't know the real length.  Please use the other constructor.");
-              mEnd = mStart + nsCharTraits<CharT>::length(mStart);
+              mEnd = mStart ? (mStart + nsCharTraits<CharT>::length(mStart)) : mStart;
             }
         }
 
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ copy_string_backward( InputIterator first, InputIterator last, OutputIterator re
 
         NS_ASSERTION(lengthToCopy, "|copy_string_backward| will never terminate");
 
-        nsCharTraits<OutputIterator::value_type>::move(result.operator->()-lengthToCopy, last.operator->()-lengthToCopy, lengthToCopy);
+        nsCharTraits<typename OutputIterator::value_type>::move(result.operator->()-lengthToCopy, last.operator->()-lengthToCopy, lengthToCopy);
 
         last -= PRInt32(lengthToCopy);
         result -= PRInt32(lengthToCopy);