--- a/CharacterArray.st	Mon Jul 25 12:26:29 2011 +0200
+++ b/CharacterArray.st	Wed Jul 27 00:59:12 2011 +0200
@@ -2260,6 +2260,31 @@
     "
 !
 
+asByteArray
+    |bytes sz bytesPerCharacter idx|
+
+    sz := self size.
+
+    bytesPerCharacter := self bitsPerCharacter // 8.
+    bytes := ByteArray new:(sz * bytesPerCharacter).
+    idx := 1.
+    self do:[:char |
+        bytesPerCharacter == 2 ifTrue:[
+            bytes unsignedShortAt:idx put:char asciiValue
+        ] ifFalse:[
+            bytesPerCharacter == 2 ifTrue:[
+                bytes unsignedLongAt:idx put:char asciiValue
+            ] ifFalse:[
+                self error.
+            ].
+        ].
+        idx := idx + bytesPerCharacter.
+    ].
+    ^ bytes
+
+    "Created: / 27-07-2011 / 00:56:17 / cg"
+!
+
 asCollectionOfLines
     "return a collection containing the lines (separated by cr)
      of the receiver. If multiple cr's occur in a row, the result will
@@ -5842,11 +5867,11 @@
 !CharacterArray class methodsFor:'documentation'!
 
 version
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/CharacterArray.st,v 1.456 2011-07-24 06:55:24 cg Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/CharacterArray.st,v 1.457 2011-07-26 22:59:12 cg Exp $'
 !
 
 version_CVS
-    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/CharacterArray.st,v 1.456 2011-07-24 06:55:24 cg Exp $'
+    ^ '$Header: /cvs/stx/stx/libbasic/CharacterArray.st,v 1.457 2011-07-26 22:59:12 cg Exp $'
 ! !
 
 CharacterArray initialize!