diff --git a/libraries/kdoc/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/doc/KDocConfig.kt b/libraries/kdoc/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/doc/KDocConfig.kt
index 229e6e90c67..be27a10e646 100644
--- a/libraries/kdoc/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/doc/KDocConfig.kt
+++ b/libraries/kdoc/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/doc/KDocConfig.kt
@@ -95,15 +95,7 @@ class KDocConfig() {
 
 protected class LongestFirstStringComparator() : Comparator<String> {
     override fun compare(s1: String?, s2: String?): Int {
-        // TODO could we make this kind of code much easier?
-        if (s1 == s2) return 0
-        if (s1 == null) return -1
-        if (s2 == null) return 1
-        var answer = s1.length() - s2.length()
-        if (answer == 0) {
-            answer = s1.compareTo(s2)
-        }
-        return answer
+        return compareBy(s1, s2, { (s: String) -> s.length() })
     }
 
     override fun equals(obj : Any?) : Boolean {
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/Ordering.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/Ordering.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..546fe9fff82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/Ordering.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package kotlin
+
+import java.lang.Iterable
+import java.util.Comparator
+import java.util.Comparator
+
+/**
+ * Helper method for implementing [[Comparable<T>]] methods using a list of functions
+ * to calculate the values to compare
+ */
+inline fun <T> compareBy(a: T?, b: T?, vararg functions: Function1<T,Any?>): Int {
+    if (a === b) return 0
+    if (a == null) return - 1
+    if (b == null) return 1
+    for (fn in functions) {
+        val v1 = fn(a)
+        val v2 = fn(b)
+        val diff = compareValues(v1, v2)
+        if (diff != null) return diff
+    }
+    return compareValues(a, b)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Compares the two values which may be [[Comparable]] otherwise
+ * the [[#hashCode()]] method is used as the difference
+ */
+inline fun <T> compareValues(a: T?, b: T?): Int {
+    if (a == null) return - 1
+    if (b == null) return 1
+    if (a is Comparable<T>) {
+        return a.compareTo(b)
+    }
+    if (a == b) {
+        return 0
+    }
+    if (a is Object && b is Object) {
+        val diff = a.hashCode() - b.hashCode()
+        return if (diff == 0) 1 else diff
+    } else {
+        // TODO???
+        return 1
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a comparator using the sequence of functions used to calcualte a value to compare on
+ */
+inline fun <T> comparator(vararg functions: Function1<T,Any?>): Comparator<T> {
+    return FunctionComparator<T>(functions)
+}
+
+private class FunctionComparator<T>(val functions: Array<Function1<T,Any?>>):  Comparator<T> {
+
+    fun toString(): String {
+        return "FunctionComparator${functions.toList()}"
+    }
+
+    override fun compare(o1: T?, o2: T?): Int {
+        // TODO compile error
+        //return compareBy<T>(o1, o2, functions)
+        throw UnsupportedOperationException("TODO")
+    }
+
+    override fun equals(obj: Any?): Boolean {
+        return this == obj
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/test/CompareTest.kt b/libraries/stdlib/test/CompareTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03d6c9d4c85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/test/CompareTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package test
+
+import org.junit.Test
+
+import kotlin.test.*
+
+class Item(val name: String, val rating: Int)
+
+/**
+ */
+class CompareTest {
+    val v1 = Item("wine", 9)
+    val v2 = Item("beer", 10)
+
+    Test fun compareByNameFirst() {
+        val diff = compareBy(v1, v2, {(i: Item) -> i.name}, {(i: Item) -> i.rating})
+        assertTrue(diff > 0)
+    }
+
+    Test fun compareByRatingFirst() {
+        val diff = compareBy(v1, v2, {(i: Item) -> i.rating}, {(i: Item) -> i.name})
+        assertTrue(diff < 0)
+    }
+
+    Test fun compareSameObjectsByRatingFirst() {
+        val diff = compareBy(v1, v1, {(i: Item) -> i.rating}, {(i: Item) -> i.name})
+        assertTrue(diff == 0)
+    }
+
+    Test fun createComparator() {
+        val c = comparator({(i: Item) -> i.rating}, {(i: Item) -> i.name})
+        println("Created comparator $c")
+/*
+        val items = arrayList(v1, v2)
+        items.sort(c)
+        println("Sorted list in rating order $items")
+*/
+
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file