diff -ruNp connect4v1.2-orig/bd_string.cpp connect4v1.2/bd_string.cpp
--- connect4v1.2-orig/bd_string.cpp	2001-11-09 20:26:41.000000000 -0600
+++ connect4v1.2/bd_string.cpp	2014-08-12 19:51:14.000000000 -0500
@@ -1,9 +1,40 @@
-#include <iostream.h>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 
 #include "bd_string.h"
+// myGetline:
+// The gcc 3.1 version of the 'getline' function has a bug - it requires
+// two delimiters (e.g. newlines) before it accepts the input
+// See gcc problem report # 6648
+// The 'myGetline' function provides a replacement for 'getline'
+// Sample use:   char name[100];  myGetline(cin, name, 100);
+
+std::istream& myGetline(std::istream& in, char* buffer, std::streamsize n, char delim =
+'\n')
+{
+    if (in.peek() == delim)
+    {
+        // the gcc 3.1 version of the 'get' function fails if there
+        // are no characters before the delimiter (e.g. an empty line).
+        // This would seem to be a bug but the discussion on gcc problem
+        // report # 4419 says that this behaviour accords with the standard.
+
+        buffer[0] = '\0';
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        in.get(buffer, n, delim);
+    }
+
+    if (in.good() && strlen(buffer) < n - 1)
+    {
+        // eat the delimiter
+        in.ignore(1);
+    }
+    return in;
+}
 
 String::String()
 {
@@ -410,7 +441,7 @@ const String &String::getLine(istream &i
 	
 	temp=new char[maxChar];
 	
-	inputStream.getline(temp, maxChar);
+	myGetline(inputStream, temp, maxChar);
 	*this=temp;
 
 	delete [] temp;
diff -ruNp connect4v1.2-orig/bd_string.h connect4v1.2/bd_string.h
--- connect4v1.2-orig/bd_string.h	2001-09-11 21:53:40.000000000 -0500
+++ connect4v1.2/bd_string.h	2014-08-12 19:53:38.000000000 -0500
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+using namespace std;
+
 #ifndef BD_STRING
 #define BD_STRING
 
-#include <iostream.h>
+#include <iostream>
 
 class String
 {
diff -ruNp connect4v1.2-orig/board.cpp connect4v1.2/board.cpp
--- connect4v1.2-orig/board.cpp	2001-06-23 00:14:50.000000000 -0500
+++ connect4v1.2/board.cpp	2014-08-12 19:54:08.000000000 -0500
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-#include <iostream.h>
+using namespace std;
+
+#include <iostream>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "break.h"
diff -ruNp connect4v1.2-orig/heuristic.cpp connect4v1.2/heuristic.cpp
--- connect4v1.2-orig/heuristic.cpp	2002-09-28 22:06:34.000000000 -0500
+++ connect4v1.2/heuristic.cpp	2014-08-12 19:51:14.000000000 -0500
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <iostream.h>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <math.h>
 
 #include "debug.h"
diff -ruNp connect4v1.2-orig/main.cpp connect4v1.2/main.cpp
--- connect4v1.2-orig/main.cpp	2002-09-28 22:10:50.000000000 -0500
+++ connect4v1.2/main.cpp	2014-08-12 19:51:14.000000000 -0500
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
-#include <iostream.h>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <math.h>
 
 #include "debug.h"