diff --git a/laravel/bootstrap/core.php b/laravel/bootstrap/core.php
index 0c90cae6..c9e18571 100644
--- a/laravel/bootstrap/core.php
+++ b/laravel/bootstrap/core.php
@@ -62,4 +62,9 @@ function e($value)
 function __($key, $replacements = array(), $language = null)
 {
 	return Lang::line($key, $replacements, $language);
+}
+
+function fe($function)
+{
+	return function_exists($function);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/laravel/str.php b/laravel/str.php
index 6213211b..ec10899c 100644
--- a/laravel/str.php
+++ b/laravel/str.php
@@ -5,78 +5,93 @@ class Str {
 	/**
 	 * Convert a string to lowercase.
 	 *
+	 * <code>
+	 *		// Convert a string to lowercase
+	 *		echo Str::lower('STOP YELLING');
+	 *
+	 *		// Convert a UTF-8 string to lowercase
+	 *		echo Str::lower('Τάχιστη');
+	 * </code>
+	 *
 	 * @param  string  $value
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	public static function lower($value)
 	{
-		if (function_exists('mb_strtolower'))
-		{
-			return mb_strtolower($value, Config::get('application.encoding'));
-		}
-
-		return strtolower($value);
+		return (fe('mb_strtolower')) ? mb_strtolower($value, Config::get('application.encoding')) : strtolower($value);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Convert a string to uppercase.
 	 *
+	 * <code>
+	 *		// Convert a string to uppercase
+	 *		echo Str::upper('speak louder');
+	 *
+	 *		// Convert a UTF-8 string to uppercase
+	 *		echo Str::upper('Τάχιστη');
+	 * </code>
+	 *
 	 * @param  string  $value
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	public static function upper($value)
 	{
-		if (function_exists('mb_strtoupper'))
-		{
-			return mb_strtoupper($value, Config::get('application.encoding'));
-		}
-
-		return strtoupper($value);
+		return (fe('mb_strtoupper')) ? mb_strtoupper($value, Config::get('application.encoding')) : strtoupper($value);
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Convert a string to title case (ucwords).
+	 * Convert a string to title case (ucwords equivalent).
+	 *
+	 * <code>
+	 *		// Convert a string to title case
+	 *		echo Str::title('taylor otwell');
+	 *
+	 *		// Convert a UTF-8 string to title case
+	 *		echo Str::title('Τάχιστη αλώπηξ');
+	 * </code>
 	 *
 	 * @param  string  $value
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	public static function title($value)
 	{
-		if (function_exists('mb_convert_case'))
-		{
-			return mb_convert_case($value, MB_CASE_TITLE, Config::get('application.encoding'));
-		}
-
-		return ucwords(strtolower($value));
+		return (fe('mb_convert_case')) ? mb_convert_case($value, MB_CASE_TITLE, Config::get('application.encoding')) : ucwords(strtolower($value));
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Get the length of a string.
 	 *
+	 * <code>
+	 *		// Get the length of a string
+	 *		echo Str::length('taylor otwell');
+	 *
+	 *		// Get the length of a UTF-8 string
+	 *		echo Str::length('Τάχιστη αλώπηξ');
+	 * </code>
+	 *
 	 * @param  string  $value
 	 * @return int
 	 */
 	public static function length($value)
 	{
-		if (function_exists('mb_strlen'))
-		{
-			return mb_strlen($value, Config::get('application.encoding'));
-		}
-
-		return strlen($value);
+		return (fe('mb_strlen')) ? mb_strlen($value, Config::get('application.encoding')) : strlen($value);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Convert a string to 7-bit ASCII.
 	 *
+	 * <code>
+	 *		// Returns "Deuxieme Article"
+	 *		echo Str::ascii('Deuxième Article');
+	 * </code>
+	 *
 	 * @param  string  $value
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	public static function ascii($value)
 	{
-		$foreign = Config::get('ascii');
-
-		$value = preg_replace(array_keys($foreign), array_values($foreign), $value);
+		$value = preg_replace(array_keys($foreign = Config::get('ascii')), array_values($foreign), $value);
 
 		return preg_replace('/[^\x09\x0A\x0D\x20-\x7E]/', '', $value);
 	}
@@ -84,7 +99,13 @@ public static function ascii($value)
 	/**
 	 * Generate a random alpha or alpha-numeric string.
 	 *
-	 * Supported types: 'alnum' and 'alpha'.
+	 * <code>
+	 *		// Generate a 40 character random, alpha-numeric string
+	 *		echo Str::random(40);
+	 *
+	 *		// Generate a 16 character random, alphabetic string
+	 *		echo Str::random(16, 'alpha');
+	 * <code>
 	 *
 	 * @param  int	   $length
 	 * @param  string  $type