diff --git a/String.cpp b/String.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0297387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/String.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+#include "String.h"
+#include <cstring>
+#include <memory>
+
+
+
+String::String()
+:_str(nullptr)
+{}
+
+// string must be null-terminated
+String::String(const char* string)
+{
+    auto size = std::strlen(string) + 1;    // make space for null-terminator
+    auto data = new char[size];
+    std::strcpy(data, string);
+
+    _str = new StringValue(data);           // initialize new StringValue with data
+}
+
+String::String(const String& other)
+{
+    _str = other._str;
+    _str->operator++();
+}
+
+// copy&move-assignment operator with copy-and-swap
+String& String::operator=(String other)     // take parameter by value: can bind to copy and move-assignment
+{                                           //                          & the compiler can optimize copying
+    swap(*this, other);
+    return *this;
+}
+
+String::~String()
+{
+    _str->operator--(); // the ref-counting is done by StringValue, no need to do that here
+}
+
+void swap(String& s1, String& s2) noexcept
+{
+    using std::swap;    // enable ADL, not necessary in our case, yet good practice
+
+    swap(s1._str, s2._str);
+}
+
+String::String(String&& other) : String()   // init via default ctor so _str is a nullptr
+{ swap(*this, other); }
+
+String String::operator+(const String& rhs) const
+{
+    auto size = this->size() + rhs.size() - 1;      // minus one null-terminator, we need only one
+    auto data = new char[size];                     // make some space
+    std::strcpy(data, this->c_str());               // copy data of this
+    String ret;
+    ret._str = new StringValue(std::strcat(data, rhs.c_str()));     // append data of rsh
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+String& String::operator+=(const String& other)
+{
+    auto size = this->size() + other.size() - 1;     // minus one null-terminator, we need only one
+    auto data = new char[size];
+    std::strcpy(data, this->c_str());                // copy our data
+    std::strcat(data, other.c_str());                // append data of the other string
+
+    _str->operator--();                              // release old data
+    _str = new StringValue(data);
+
+    return *this;
+}
+
+// TODO: continue implementing missing stuff from the middle
+
+bool String::operator==(const String& other) const
+{ return static_cast<bool>(std::strcmp(this->c_str(), other.c_str())); }    // explicit cast to silence warning
+
+const char& String::operator[](size_t index) const
+{ return (const_cast<const StringValue*>(_str))->operator[](index); }       // cast to use const operator[]
+
+// reuse const operator[]
+char& String::operator[](size_t index)
+{ return const_cast<char&>(const_cast<const StringValue*>(_str)->operator[](index)); }
+
+size_t String::size() const
+{ return _str->size(); }
+
+const char* String::c_str() const
+{ return *_str; }   // invokes StringValue::operator const char*()
+
+std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, String& str)
+{
+    constexpr size_t BUFSIZE = 50;                // set some reasonable buffer size
+    char buf[BUFSIZE];
+    std::unique_ptr<char[]> data(new char[1]);    // istream data - I use unique_ptr for exception safety
+    data.get()[0] = '\0';                         // init it with a null terminator
+    while (is.get(buf, BUFSIZE))                  // while there is still some data in the stream
+    {
+        std::unique_ptr<char[]> newdata(new char[strlen(data.get()) + BUFSIZE]);    // make some space
+        std::strcpy(newdata.get(), data.get());   // copy the data already read
+        data.swap(newdata);                       // make the old data go out of scope instead of newdata
+        std::strcat(data.get(), buf);             // append new input
+    }
+    std::unique_ptr<char[]> newdata(new char[strlen(data.get()) + 1]);              // shrink the array
+    std::strcpy(newdata.get(), data.get());                                         // to fit the data
+    data.swap(newdata);
+
+    if (str._str)                                 // if there is some old data, release it
+        str._str->operator--();
+
+    str._str = new StringValue(data.release());   // release ownership of final data
+
+    return is;
+}
+
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const String& str)
+{
+    return os << str.c_str();
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/StringValue.cpp b/StringValue.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26b8acf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/StringValue.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#include "StringValue.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <cstring>
+
+
+
+StringValue::StringValue(char* data)
+:_data(data), _size(std::strlen(data) + 1), _refs(1)
+{}
+
+void StringValue::operator++()
+{ _refs++; }
+
+void StringValue::operator--()
+{
+    _refs--;
+    if (_refs == 0)
+    {
+        delete[] _data;
+        delete this;
+        /* This might seem scary, but StringValues are dynamically allocated and own themselves,
+         * thus when no longer referenced the object can -- and should -- commit suicide. */
+    }
+}
+
+const char& StringValue::operator[](size_t index) const
+{
+    if (index > _size-1)
+        throw std::out_of_range("Index out of range!");
+    return _data[index];
+}
+
+char& StringValue::operator[](size_t index)
+{ return const_cast<char&>(const_cast<const StringValue*>(this)->operator[](index)); }
+
+StringValue::operator const char*() const
+{ return _data; }
+
+size_t StringValue::size() const
+{ return _size - 1; }
\ No newline at end of file