Index: trunk/src/layer.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/layer.c	(revision 28632)
+++ trunk/src/layer.c	(revision 28633)
@@ -1023,6 +1023,15 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+pcb_layer_type_t pcb_layer_type_strn2bit(const char *name, size_t len)
+{
+	const pcb_layer_type_name_t *n;
+	for(n = pcb_layer_type_names; n->name != NULL; n++)
+		if ((strncmp(n->name, name, len) == 0) && (n->name[len] == '\0'))
+			return n->type;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 const char *pcb_layer_type_bit2str(pcb_layer_type_t type)
 {
 	const pcb_layer_type_name_t *n;
Index: trunk/src/layer.h
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/layer.h	(revision 28632)
+++ trunk/src/layer.h	(revision 28633)
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@
 
 /* return 0 or the flag value correspoding to name (linear search) */
 pcb_layer_type_t pcb_layer_type_str2bit(const char *name);
+pcb_layer_type_t pcb_layer_type_strn2bit(const char *name, size_t len);
 pcb_layer_combining_t pcb_layer_comb_str2bit(const char *name);
 
 /* Convert a list of types/combs from string to bits. Returns 0 on success.