Index: trunk/Ohana/src/opihi/cmd.data/create.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/Ohana/src/opihi/cmd.data/create.c	(revision 41340)
+++ trunk/Ohana/src/opihi/cmd.data/create.c	(revision 41341)
@@ -7,4 +7,31 @@
   Vector *vec;
   
+  // create a vector of empty strings
+  if ((N = get_argument (argc, argv, "-str"))) {
+    remove_argument (N, &argc, argv);
+
+    char *stringValue = NULL;
+    if ((N = get_argument (argc, argv, "-value"))) {
+      remove_argument (N, &argc, argv);
+      stringValue = strcreate (argv[N]);
+      remove_argument (N, &argc, argv);
+    }
+
+    if (argc != 3) {
+      gprint (GP_ERR, "USAGE: create vector Nelements -value word\n");
+      return (FALSE);
+    }
+
+    if ((vec = SelectVector (argv[1], ANYVECTOR, TRUE)) == NULL) return (FALSE);
+    int Nelements = atoi (argv[2]);
+
+    // a newly reset vector has NULL-valued pointers
+    ResetVector (vec, OPIHI_STR, Nelements);
+    for (int i = 0; i < Nelements; i++) {
+      vec[0].elements.Str[i] = stringValue ? strcreate (stringValue) : strcreate ("");
+    }
+    return TRUE;
+  }
+
   INT = FALSE;
   if ((N = get_argument (argc, argv, "-int"))) {
@@ -16,4 +43,5 @@
     gprint (GP_ERR, "USAGE: create vector start end [delta] [-int]\n");
     gprint (GP_ERR, " -int : resulting vector is integer type (delta must be integer)\n");
+    gprint (GP_ERR, " -str : resulting vector is string type (only give number of elements)\n");
     return (FALSE);
   }