diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.combined.ww
index b3630355..f9a17726 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.combined.ww
@@ -2895,16 +2895,6 @@ fn cstreqlit(a: *u8, lit: str) bool = {
 	return a[n] == 0u8;
 };
 
-// startswith — does a have b as a prefix?
-fn cstrstartswith(a: *u8, b: *u8) bool = {
-	let i: u64 = 0u64;
-	for (b[i] != 0u8) {
-		if (a[i] != b[i]) { return false; };
-		i += 1u64;
-	};
-	return true;
-};
-
 // memcpy
 fn bytecpy(dst: *u8, src: *u8, n: u64) void = {
 	let i: u64 = 0u64;
@@ -3145,7 +3135,7 @@ fn locateimport(dirs: *u8, name: *u8, namelen: u64,
 	for (p < total) {
 		let q: u64 = p;
 		for (q < total) {
-			if (dirs[q] == 58u8) { break; };	// ':'
+			if (dirs[q] == ':') { break; };
 			q += 1u64;
 		};
 		let seglen: u64 = q - p;
@@ -3314,11 +3304,11 @@ fn slurp(pathcs: *u8) (*u8, u64) = {
 };
 
 fn isidentbyte(c: u8) bool = {
-	if (c >= 97u8) { if (c <= 122u8) { return true; }; };	// a..z
-	if (c >= 65u8) { if (c <= 90u8)  { return true; }; };	// A..Z
-	if (c >= 48u8) { if (c <= 57u8)  { return true; }; };	// 0..9
-	if (c == 95u8) { return true; };	// _
-	if (c == 46u8) { return true; };	// .
+	if (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') { return true; };
+	if (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') { return true; };
+	if (c >= '0' && c <= '9') { return true; };
+	if (c == '_') { return true; };
+	if (c == '.') { return true; };
 	return false;
 };
 
@@ -3811,7 +3801,7 @@ fn basenameoff(p: *u8, plen: u64) u64 = {
 	let start: u64 = 0u64;
 	let i: u64 = 0u64;
 	for (i < plen) {
-		if (p[i] == 47u8) { start = i + 1u64; };	// '/'
+		if (p[i] == '/') { start = i + 1u64; };
 		i += 1u64;
 	};
 	return start;
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.ww b/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.ww
index c1404241..212b9869 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/ww/main.ww
@@ -61,16 +61,6 @@ fn cstreqlit(a: *u8, lit: str) bool = {
 	return a[n] == 0u8;
 };
 
-// startswith — does a have b as a prefix?
-fn cstrstartswith(a: *u8, b: *u8) bool = {
-	let i: u64 = 0u64;
-	for (b[i] != 0u8) {
-		if (a[i] != b[i]) { return false; };
-		i += 1u64;
-	};
-	return true;
-};
-
 // memcpy
 fn bytecpy(dst: *u8, src: *u8, n: u64) void = {
 	let i: u64 = 0u64;
@@ -311,7 +301,7 @@ fn locateimport(dirs: *u8, name: *u8, namelen: u64,
 	for (p < total) {
 		let q: u64 = p;
 		for (q < total) {
-			if (dirs[q] == 58u8) { break; };	// ':'
+			if (dirs[q] == ':') { break; };
 			q += 1u64;
 		};
 		let seglen: u64 = q - p;
@@ -480,11 +470,11 @@ fn slurp(pathcs: *u8) (*u8, u64) = {
 };
 
 fn isidentbyte(c: u8) bool = {
-	if (c >= 97u8) { if (c <= 122u8) { return true; }; };	// a..z
-	if (c >= 65u8) { if (c <= 90u8)  { return true; }; };	// A..Z
-	if (c >= 48u8) { if (c <= 57u8)  { return true; }; };	// 0..9
-	if (c == 95u8) { return true; };	// _
-	if (c == 46u8) { return true; };	// .
+	if (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') { return true; };
+	if (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') { return true; };
+	if (c >= '0' && c <= '9') { return true; };
+	if (c == '_') { return true; };
+	if (c == '.') { return true; };
 	return false;
 };
 
@@ -977,7 +967,7 @@ fn basenameoff(p: *u8, plen: u64) u64 = {
 	let start: u64 = 0u64;
 	let i: u64 = 0u64;
 	for (i < plen) {
-		if (p[i] == 47u8) { start = i + 1u64; };	// '/'
+		if (p[i] == '/') { start = i + 1u64; };
 		i += 1u64;
 	};
 	return start;