diff --git a/applications/test/dictionary4/Make/files b/applications/test/dictionary4/Make/files
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9420ab30b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/dictionary4/Make/files
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Test-dictionary4.C
+
+EXE = $(FOAM_USER_APPBIN)/Test-dictionary4
diff --git a/applications/test/dictionary4/Make/options b/applications/test/dictionary4/Make/options
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..41306609f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/dictionary4/Make/options
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+EXE_INC =
diff --git a/applications/test/dictionary4/Test-dictionary4.C b/applications/test/dictionary4/Test-dictionary4.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1104035767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/dictionary4/Test-dictionary4.C
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2019 OpenCFD Ltd.
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Application
+    Test-dictionary4
+
+Description
+    Test expansion
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#include "argList.H"
+#include "IOstreams.H"
+#include "IOobject.H"
+#include "IFstream.H"
+#include "dictionary.H"
+#include "Pair.H"
+#include "stringOps.H"
+
+using namespace Foam;
+
+void addToDict
+(
+    dictionary& dict,
+    std::initializer_list<Pair<std::string>> entries
+)
+{
+    for (const Pair<std::string>& e : entries)
+    {
+        dict.add(word(e.first()), string(e.second()));
+    }
+}
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+//  Main program:
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    // Test expansion
+    {
+        dictionary dict;
+
+
+        addToDict
+        (
+            dict,
+            {
+                {"fileDir", "<case>/triSurface"},
+                {"fileBase", "input"},
+                {"fileExt", ".stl"},
+                {"fileName", "${fileDir}/${fileBase}$fileExt"}
+            }
+        );
+
+        Info<< "dict" << dict << nl;
+
+        string str("fileName = <$fileName>");
+
+        Info<< str.c_str() << nl;
+
+        stringOps::inplaceExpand(str, dict, true, true);
+
+        Info<< str.c_str() << nl;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/applications/test/string/Make/options b/applications/test/string/Make/options
index 4e772fdf9d..18e6fe47af 100644
--- a/applications/test/string/Make/options
+++ b/applications/test/string/Make/options
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-/* EXE_INC = -I$(LIB_SRC)/finiteVolume/lnInclude */
-/* EXE_LIBS = -lfiniteVolume */
+/* EXE_INC = */
+/* EXE_LIBS = */
diff --git a/applications/test/string/Test-string.C b/applications/test/string/Test-string.C
index 46257c117b..ed939665fe 100644
--- a/applications/test/string/Test-string.C
+++ b/applications/test/string/Test-string.C
@@ -172,35 +172,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     Info<<"trimRight: " << stringOps::trimRight(test) << endl;
     Info<<"trim: " << stringOps::trim(test) << endl;
 
-    // Test comment stripping
-    {
-        Info<< nl << "Test comment stripping" << nl;
-        testCommentStripping
-        (
-            "/String without comments/"
-        );
-        testCommentStripping
-        (
-            "Removed some/* C-comments */ / C comments"
-        );
-        testCommentStripping
-        (
-            "Removed some//C++ comments\n / C++ comments"
-        );
-        testCommentStripping
-        (
-            "Partly degenerate C comment </*/ C-comment..."
-        );
-        testCommentStripping
-        (
-            "Truncated C comment </* C-comment..."
-        );
-        testCommentStripping
-        (
-            "Truncated C++ comment <// C++ comment..."
-        );
-    }
-
     if (false)
     {
         Info<<"test move construct - string size:" << test.size() << nl;
diff --git a/applications/test/string2/Make/files b/applications/test/string2/Make/files
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f068e64a51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/string2/Make/files
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Test-string2.C
+
+EXE = $(FOAM_USER_APPBIN)/Test-string2
diff --git a/applications/test/string2/Make/options b/applications/test/string2/Make/options
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..18e6fe47af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/string2/Make/options
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/* EXE_INC = */
+/* EXE_LIBS = */
diff --git a/applications/test/string2/Test-string2.C b/applications/test/string2/Test-string2.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0ee508186
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/string2/Test-string2.C
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2019 OpenCFD Ltd.
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Description
+    Test some string functionality
+
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#include "string.H"
+#include "stringOps.H"
+#include "dictionary.H"
+#include "IOstreams.H"
+#include "OSspecific.H"
+
+#include "int.H"
+#include "uint.H"
+#include "scalar.H"
+#include "Switch.H"
+#include "fileName.H"
+#include "stringList.H"
+#include "stringOps.H"
+
+using namespace Foam;
+
+void testCommentStripping(const std::string& s)
+{
+    Info<< "input" << nl
+        << "========" << nl
+        << s << nl
+        << "========" << nl;
+
+    Info<< "output" << nl
+        << "========" << nl
+        << stringOps::removeComments(s) << nl
+        << "========" << nl << nl;
+}
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+// Main program:
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    // Test comment stripping
+    {
+        Info<< nl << "Test comment stripping" << nl;
+
+        for
+        (
+            const auto& cstr
+          :
+            {
+                "/String without comments/",
+                "Removed some/* C-comments */ / C comments",
+                "Removed some//C++ comments\n / C++ comments",
+                "Partly degenerate C comment </*/ C-comment...",
+                "Truncated C comment </* C-comment...",
+                "Truncated C++ comment <// C++ comment...",
+            }
+        )
+        {
+            testCommentStripping(cstr);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    Info<< "\nEnd\n" << endl;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //