namespace boost { namespace filesystem {
      template <class String, class Traits> class basic_path
      {
      public:
        typedef basic_path<String, Traits> path_type;
        typedef String string_type;
        typedef typename String::value_type value_type;
        typedef Traits traits_type;
        typedef typename Traits::external_string_type external_string_type; 

        // constructors/destructor
        basic_path();
        basic_path(const basic_path& p);
        basic_path(const string_type& s);
        basic_path(const value_type* s);
        template <class InputIterator>
          basic_path(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);

       ~basic_path();

        // assignments
        basic_path& operator=(const basic_path& p);
        basic_path& operator=(const string_type& s);
        basic_path& operator=(const value_type* s);
        template <class InputIterator>
          basic_path& assign(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);

        // modifiers
        basic_path& operator/=(const basic_path& rhs);
        basic_path& operator/=(const string_type& s);
        basic_path& operator/=(const value_type* s);
        template <class InputIterator>
          basic_path& append(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);

        void clear();
        void swap( basic_path & rhs );
        basic_path& remove_leaf();

        // observers
        const string_type string() const;
        const string_type file_string() const;
        const string_type directory_string() const;

        const external_string_type external_file_string() const;
        const external_string_type external_directory_string() const;

        string_type  root_name() const;
        string_type  root_directory() const;
        basic_path   root_path() const;
        basic_path   relative_path() const;
        string_type  leaf() const;
        basic_path   branch_path() const;

        bool empty() const;
        bool is_complete() const;
        bool has_root_name() const;
        bool has_root_directory() const;
        bool has_root_path() const;
        bool has_relative_path() const;
        bool has_leaf() const;
        bool has_branch_path() const;

        // iterators
        class iterator;
        typedef iterator const_iterator;

        iterator begin() const;
        iterator end() const;
      };
} }