diff --git a/include/fc/filesystem.hpp b/include/fc/filesystem.hpp
index d490d44..76e168c 100644
--- a/include/fc/filesystem.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/filesystem.hpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ namespace fc {
       friend path operator /( const fc::path& p, const fc::path& );
       friend bool operator ==( const fc::path& p, const fc::path& );
       friend bool operator !=( const fc::path& p, const fc::path& );
+      friend bool operator < ( const fc::path& p, const fc::path& );
 
       operator boost::filesystem::path& ();
       operator const boost::filesystem::path& ()const;
@@ -69,6 +70,9 @@ namespace fc {
       fc::path            operator*()const;
       recursive_directory_iterator& operator++(int);
       recursive_directory_iterator& operator++();
+      void pop();
+      int  level();
+
 
       friend bool operator==( const recursive_directory_iterator&, const recursive_directory_iterator& );
       friend bool operator!=( const recursive_directory_iterator&, const recursive_directory_iterator& );
diff --git a/include/fc/string.hpp b/include/fc/string.hpp
index 490941e..5c58de1 100644
--- a/include/fc/string.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/string.hpp
@@ -24,12 +24,18 @@ namespace std {
 namespace fc {
  // typedef std::string string;
   /**
+   * @brief wrapper on std::string
+   *
    *  Including <string> results in 4000 lines of code
    *  that must be included to build your header.  This
    *  class hides all of those details while maintaining
    *  compatability with std::string. Using fc::string
    *  instead of std::string can accelerate compile times
    *  10x.
+   *
+   *  The implementation of this class is std::string, this header simply
+   *  accelerates compile times.   fc::string is automatically convertable to / from
+   *  std::string.
    */
   class string {
     public:
diff --git a/include/fc/vector.hpp b/include/fc/vector.hpp
index f65d695..1a56e3e 100644
--- a/include/fc/vector.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/vector.hpp
@@ -347,6 +347,15 @@ namespace fc {
     };
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief provides a light-weight vector similar to std::vector except that
+   *  it prevents needing to include <vector> which requires many more headers
+   *  and increases compile times.  
+   *
+   *  This class should have the same API as std::vector and can be expanded as
+   *  additional features of std::vector are required.
+   *
+   */
   template<typename T>
   class vector : public detail::vector_impl<T, typename fc::is_class<T>::type> {
     public:
diff --git a/src/error_report.cpp b/src/error_report.cpp
index 3dbecfb..ec4c588 100644
--- a/src/error_report.cpp
+++ b/src/error_report.cpp
@@ -84,56 +84,6 @@ fc::string error_frame::to_detail_string()const {
 fc::string error_frame::to_string()const {
    return substitute( desc, meta ? *meta : fc::value() );
 }
-#if 0
-    fc::stringstream ss;
-    size_t prev = 0;
-    auto next = desc.find( '$' );
-    while( prev != size_t(fc::string::npos) && prev < size_t(desc.size()) ) {
-   //   slog( "prev: %d next %d   %s", prev, next, desc.substr(prev,next).c_str() );
-      // print everything from the last pos until the first '$'
-      ss << desc.substr( prev, size_t(next-prev) );
-
-      // if we got to the end, return it.
-      if( next == string::npos ) { return ss.str(); }
-
-      // if we are not at the end, then update the start
-      prev = next + 1;
-
-      if( desc[prev] == '{' ) { 
-         // if the next char is a open, then find close
-          next = desc.find( '}', prev );
-          // if we found close... 
-          if( next != fc::string::npos ) {
-            // the key is between prev and next
-            fc::string key = desc.substr( prev+1, (next-prev-1) );
-            //slog( "key '%s'", key.c_str() );
-            if( meta ) {
-                auto itr = meta->find( key.c_str() );
-                if( itr != meta->end() ) {
-		   if( itr->val.is_string() ) {
-		     ss<<itr->val.cast<fc::string>();
-		   } else {
-                     ss << fc::json::to_string( itr->val );
-		   }
-                } else {
-                   ss << "???";
-                }
-            }
-            prev = next + 1;
-            // find the next $
-            next = desc.find( '$', prev );
-          } else {
-            // we didn't find it.. continue to while...
-          }
-      } else  {
-         ss << desc[prev];
-         ++prev;
-         next = desc.find( '$', prev );
-      }
-    }
-    return ss.str();
-}
-#endif
 
 fc::string substitute( const fc::string& format, const fc::value& keys ) {
     fc::stringstream ss;
@@ -164,10 +114,10 @@ fc::string substitute( const fc::string& format, const fc::value& keys ) {
 		               if( itr->val.is_string() ) {
 		                 ss<<itr->val.cast<fc::string>();
 		               } else {
-                                 ss << fc::json::to_string( itr->val );
+                     ss << fc::json::to_string( itr->val );
 		               }
                 } else {
-                   ss << "???";
+                   ss << "${"<<key<<"}";
                 }
           //  }
             prev = next + 1;
diff --git a/src/filesystem.cpp b/src/filesystem.cpp
index c3966c4..3cd8e98 100644
--- a/src/filesystem.cpp
+++ b/src/filesystem.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ namespace fc {
     return *this;
    }
 
+   bool operator <( const fc::path& l, const fc::path& r ) { return *l._p < *r._p; }
    bool operator ==( const fc::path& l, const fc::path& r ) { return *l._p == *r._p; }
    bool operator !=( const fc::path& l, const fc::path& r ) { return *l._p != *r._p; }
 
@@ -112,6 +113,9 @@ namespace fc {
       recursive_directory_iterator& recursive_directory_iterator::operator++(int)  { (*_p)++; return *this; }
       recursive_directory_iterator& recursive_directory_iterator::operator++()     { (*_p)++; return *this; }
 
+      void recursive_directory_iterator::pop() { (*_p).pop(); }
+      int recursive_directory_iterator::level() { return _p->level(); }
+
       bool operator==( const recursive_directory_iterator& r, const recursive_directory_iterator& l) {
         return *r._p == *l._p;
       }
diff --git a/src/time.cpp b/src/time.cpp
index e55c965..0e30792 100644
--- a/src/time.cpp
+++ b/src/time.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <fc/value_cast.hpp>
 #include <boost/chrono/system_clocks.hpp>
 #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
 #include <fc/time.hpp>