Index: src/OFDataArray.h
==================================================================
--- src/OFDataArray.h
+++ src/OFDataArray.h
@@ -58,15 +58,14 @@
 - (void*)cArray;
 
 /**
  * Compares the OFDataArray to another object.
  *
- * \param obj An object to compare with
- * \return An integer which is the result of the comparison, see for example
- *	   strcmp
+ * \param ary A data array to compare with
+ * \return An of_comparsion_result_t
  */
-- (int)compare: (id)obj;
+- (of_comparison_result_t)compare: (OFDataArray*)obj;
 
 /**
  * Returns a specific item of the OFDataArray.
  *
  * \param index The number of the item to return

Index: src/OFDataArray.m
==================================================================
--- src/OFDataArray.m
+++ src/OFDataArray.m
@@ -151,35 +151,35 @@
 		return NO;
 
 	return YES;
 }
 
-- (int)compare: (id)obj
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	if (![obj isKindOfClass: [OFDataArray class]])
-		@throw [OFInvalidArgumentException newWithClass: isa
-						       selector: _cmd];
-	if ([obj itemsize] != itemsize)
-		@throw [OFInvalidArgumentException newWithClass: isa
-						       selector: _cmd];
-
-	if ([obj count] == count)
-		return memcmp(data, [obj cArray], count * itemsize);
-
-	if (count > [obj count]) {
-		if ((ret = memcmp(data, [obj cArray], [obj count] * itemsize)))
-			return ret;
-
-		return *(char*)[self itemAtIndex: [obj count]];
-	} else {
-		if ((ret = memcmp(data, [obj cArray], count * itemsize)))
-			return ret;
-
-		return *(char*)[obj itemAtIndex: count] * -1;
-	}
+- (of_comparison_result_t)compare: (OFDataArray*)ary
+{
+	int cmp;
+
+	if (![ary isKindOfClass: [OFDataArray class]])
+		@throw [OFInvalidArgumentException newWithClass: isa
+						       selector: _cmd];
+	if ([ary itemsize] != itemsize)
+		@throw [OFInvalidArgumentException newWithClass: isa
+						       selector: _cmd];
+
+	if ([ary count] == count) {
+		if ((cmp = memcmp(data, [ary cArray], count * itemsize)) == 0)
+			return OF_ORDERED_SAME;
+
+		if (cmp > 0)
+			return OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING;
+		else
+			return OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING;
+	}
+
+	if (count > [ary count])
+		return OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING;
+	else
+		return OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING;
 }
 
 - (uint32_t)hash
 {
 	uint32_t hash;

Index: src/OFObject.h
==================================================================
--- src/OFObject.h
+++ src/OFObject.h
@@ -20,10 +20,22 @@
 #import <objc/objc.h>
 #ifndef __objc_INCLUDE_GNU
 #import <objc/message.h>
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * A result of a comparison.
+ */
+typedef enum {
+	/// The left object is smaller than the right
+	OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING = -1,
+	/// Both objects are equal
+	OF_ORDERED_SAME = 0,
+	/// The left object is bigger than the right
+	OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING = 1
+} of_comparison_result_t;
+
 /**
  * The OFObject class is the base class for all other classes inside ObjFW.
  */
 @interface OFObject
 {

Index: src/OFString.h
==================================================================
--- src/OFString.h
+++ src/OFString.h
@@ -201,17 +201,16 @@
  * \return The length of the string which cString would return
  */
 - (size_t)cStringLength;
 
 /**
- * Compares the OFString to another object.
+ * Compares the OFString to another OFString.
  *
- * \param obj An object to compare with
- * \return An integer which is the result of the comparison, see for example
- *	   strcmp
+ * \param str A string to compare with
+ * \return An of_comparison_result_t
  */
-- (int)compare: (id)obj;
+- (of_comparison_result_t)compare: (OFString*)str;
 
 /**
  * \param index The index of the Unicode character to return
  * \return The Unicode character at the specified index
  */

Index: src/OFString.m
==================================================================
--- src/OFString.m
+++ src/OFString.m
@@ -560,17 +560,39 @@
 - (id)mutableCopy
 {
 	return [[OFMutableString alloc] initWithString: self];
 }
 
-- (int)compare: (id)obj
+- (of_comparison_result_t)compare: (OFString*)str
 {
-	if (![obj isKindOfClass: [OFString class]])
+	int cmp;
+
+	if (![str isKindOfClass: [OFString class]])
 		@throw [OFInvalidArgumentException newWithClass: isa
 						       selector: _cmd];
 
-	return strcmp(string, [obj cString]);
+	if ([str length] == [self length]) {
+		if (length != [str cStringLength]) {
+			if (length > [str cStringLength])
+				return OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING;
+			else
+				return OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING;
+		}
+
+		if ((cmp = memcmp(string, [str cString], length)) == 0)
+			return OF_ORDERED_SAME;
+
+		if (cmp > 0)
+			return OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING;
+		else
+			return OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING;
+	}
+
+	if ([self length] > [str length])
+		return OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING;
+	else
+		return OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING;
 }
 
 - (uint32_t)hash
 {
 	uint32_t hash;

Index: tests/OFDataArray.m
==================================================================
--- tests/OFDataArray.m
+++ tests/OFDataArray.m
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@
 	TEST(@"-[copy]", (array[1] = [[array[0] copy] autorelease]) &&
 	    [array[0] isEqual: array[1]])
 
 	TEST(@"-[compare]", [array[0] compare: array[1]] == 0 &&
 	    [array[1] removeNItems: 1] &&
-	    [array[0] compare: array[1]] == 0x42 &&
-	    [array[1] compare: array[0]] == -0x42)
+	    [array[0] compare: array[1]] == OF_ORDERED_DESCENDING &&
+	    [array[1] compare: array[0]] == OF_ORDERED_ASCENDING)
 
 	TEST(@"-[hash]", [array[0] hash] == 0xC54621B6)
 
 	TEST(@"-[removeNItems:]", [array[0] removeNItems: 1])
 

Index: tests/OFString.m
==================================================================
--- tests/OFString.m
+++ tests/OFString.m
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@
 	s[2] = [[s[0] copy] autorelease];
 
 	TEST(@"-[isEqual:]", [s[0] isEqual: s[2]] &&
 	    ![s[0] isEqual: [[[OFObject alloc] init] autorelease]])
 
-	TEST(@"-[compare:]", [s[0] compare: s[2]] == 0 &&
-	    [s[0] compare: @""] != 0)
+	TEST(@"-[compare:]", [s[0] compare: s[2]] == OF_ORDERED_SAME &&
+	    [s[0] compare: @""] != OF_ORDERED_SAME)
 
 	TEST(@"-[hash] is the same if -[isEqual:] is YES",
 	    [s[0] hash] == [s[2] hash])
 
 	TEST(@"-[appendString:] and -[appendCString:]",