Index: example_static.c
===================================================================
--- example_static.c	(revision 28950)
+++ example_static.c	(revision 28951)
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 int main()
 {
 	char s[1024];
+	const char *start[3] = {0};
 	char *tmp, *argv_static[8] = {0}, **argv = argv_static;
 	unsigned int argv_alloced = 8;
 	size_t tmp_len;
@@ -29,11 +30,14 @@
 
 		/* split and print fields */
 		printf("Splitting '%s':\n", s);
-		argc = qparse4(s, &argv, &argv_alloced, SYNTAX, &cons, &tmp, &tmp_len);
+		argc = qparse4(s, &argv, &argv_alloced, SYNTAX, &cons, &tmp, &tmp_len, start, 3);
 		for(n = 0; n < argc; n++)
 			printf(" [%d] '%s'\n", n, argv[n]);
 		qparse_free_strs(argc, &argv);
-		printf("consumed: %ld bytes\n", cons);
+		printf("consumed: %ld bytes, starts at", cons);
+		for(n = 0; (n < argc) && (n < 3); n++)
+			printf(" '%s'", start[n]);
+		printf("\n");
 	}
 	qparse4_free(&argv, &argv_alloced, SYNTAX, &tmp, &tmp_len);
 
Index: qparse.c
===================================================================
--- qparse.c	(revision 28950)
+++ qparse.c	(revision 28951)
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 #define qpush(chr) \
 	{ \
+		if ((buff_used == 0) && (start != NULL) && (argc < start_len)) \
+			start[argc] = s; \
 	 if (buff_used >= buff_len) { \
 	 	buff_len += 128; \
 		buff = realloc(buff, buff_len); \
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@
 		} \
 	} while(0)
 
-int qparse4(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced)
+int qparse4(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced, const char **start, int start_len)
 {
 	int argc, allocated_;
 	qp_state_t state;
@@ -253,18 +255,18 @@
 
 int qparse3(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out)
 {
-	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, flg, consumed_out, NULL, NULL);
+	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, flg, consumed_out, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 
 int qparse2(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg)
 {
-	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, flg, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, flg, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 int qparse(const char *input, char **argv_ret[])
 {
-	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, QPARSE_DOUBLE_QUOTE, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, QPARSE_DOUBLE_QUOTE, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 
Index: qparse.h
===================================================================
--- qparse.h	(revision 28950)
+++ qparse.h	(revision 28951)
@@ -36,10 +36,12 @@
 /* This variant keeps track of argv_ret[] size in user supplied 'argv_allocated' so
    it can be persistent across calls, can save mallocs and frees. If buffer
    and buffer_alloced are not NULL, temporary field buffer is persistent
-   across calls. Call qparse_free_strs() after the call to get rid of the
-   strings (this won't free argv[] itself). After the last parse, call to
+   across calls. If start is not NULL, the start of the first start_len
+   words are saved there.
+   Call qparse_free_strs() after the call to get rid of the strings (this
+   won't free argv[] itself). After the last parse, call qparse4_free() to
    free everything */
-int qparse4(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced);
+int qparse4(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced, const char **start, int start_len);
 void qparse_free_strs(int argc, char **argv_ret[]);
 void qparse4_free(char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced);