+/**
+ * \brief Set the vector value at the given index and return the prior
+ * value.
+ *
+ * \param pv is the vector concerned
+ * \param index is the index for the slot to assign
+ * \param value is the new slot value
+ *
+ * \note An assignment of 0 will be treated as an unused slot.
+ *
+ * \related vector
+ */
+extern void *vector_get_set(vector *pv,vector_index index,void *value);
+
+/**
+ * \brief Get the vector value at the given index.
+ *
+ * \param pv is the vector concerned
+ * \param index is the index for the slot to assign
+ *
+ * \note This function will allocate all traversed indeex tree pages
+ * even for accessing an unassigned slot.
+ *
+ * \related vector
+ */
+extern void *vector_get(vector *pv,vector_index index);
+
+/**
+ * \brief Grow the vector by one and assign the added slot.
+ *
+ * \param pv is the vector concerned
+ * \param value is the new slot value
+ *
+ * \related vector
+ */
+extern void vector_append(vector *pv,void *value);
+
+/**
+ * \brief Copy a consecutive region from one vector into another, or
+ * possibly the same vector.
+ *
+ * \param pv is the vector concerned
+ * \param value is the new slot value
+ *
+ * \note This transfers all slots from the source region to the
+ * destination region, including zero slots. The vectors must be large
+ * enough for the transfer, which is carried out from lowest to
+ * highest or highest to lowest index depending on wther the move is
+ * to higher index or to lower index respectively.
+ *
+ * \related vector
+ */
+extern void vector_copy(
+ vector *dst,vector_index di,
+ vector *src,vector_index si,
+ vector_index n);
+
+/**
+ * \brief Allocate a copy of a vector into one in the given variant.
+ */
+extern vector *vector_clone(enum vector_variant variant,vector *src);
+
+/**
+ * \brief Utility function that invokes the itemdump function for all
+ * used (non-null) slots.
+ *
+ * \related vector
+ * \seealso vector_iterate
+ */
+extern void vector_dump(
+ vector *pv,
+ void (*itemdump)(const vector_index ,const void *));
+
+/**
+ * \brief Sort a vector with quicksort using the provided ordering
+ * collback function.
+ *
+ * \related vector
+ */
+extern void vector_qsort(vector *pv,int (*compar)(const void *,const void *));