diff --git a/common/dialog_shim.cpp b/common/dialog_shim.cpp
index 95b282c79b..aec7c2dd18 100644
--- a/common/dialog_shim.cpp
+++ b/common/dialog_shim.cpp
@@ -40,10 +40,6 @@ DIALOG_SHIM::DIALOG_SHIM( wxWindow* aParent, wxWindowID id, const wxString& titl
 #include <base_struct.h>        // EDA_RECT
 #include <typeinfo>
 
-
-/// hashtable with key: C string and value: EDA_RECT.
-/// The key is the classname of the derived wxformbuilder dialog
-WX_DECLARE_HASH_MAP( char*, EDA_RECT, wxStringHash, wxStringEqual, RECT_MAP );
 static RECT_MAP class_map;
 
 bool DIALOG_SHIM::Show( bool show )
diff --git a/include/hashtables.h b/include/hashtables.h
index 35de30f753..322a8dea90 100644
--- a/include/hashtables.h
+++ b/include/hashtables.h
@@ -1,35 +1,87 @@
 #ifndef HASHTABLES_H_
 #define HASHTABLES_H_
+/*
+ * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 SoftPLC Corporation, Dick Hollenbeck <dick@softplc.com>
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 KiCad Developers, see CHANGELOG.TXT for contributors.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, you may find one here:
+ * http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html
+ * or you may search the http://www.gnu.org website for the version 2 license,
+ * or you may write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA
+ */
+
+#include <base_struct.h>
+#include <wx/string.h>
+
+// Three strategies for providing a portable hashtable are given.
+// C++, boost, and wx, in that order.  C++ solution is no good for mingw.
+// So will soon try boost for all platforms.
+
+
+#if 0   // C++
+
+#include <unordered_map>
+
+/// Map a C string to a wxString, used in PLUGINs.
+typedef unordered_map< const char*, wxString >  PROPERTIES;
+
+/// Map a C string to an integer.  Used in DSNLEXER.
+typedef unordered_map< const char*, int >       KEYWORD_MAP;
+
+/// Map a C string to an EDA_RECT.
+/// The key is the classname of the derived wxformbuilder dialog.
+typedef unordered_map< const char*, EDA_RECT >  RECT_MAP;
+
+
+#elif 0     // boost::unordered_map
+
+// fix a compile bug at line 97 of boost/detail/container_fwd.hpp
+#define BOOST_DETAIL_TEST_FORCE_CONTAINER_FWD
+
+#include <boost/unordered_map.hpp>
+
+// see http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_49_0/doc/html/boost/unordered_map.html
+
+/// Map a C string to a wxString, used in PLUGINs.
+typedef boost::unordered_map< const char*, wxString >  PROPERTIES;
+
+/// Map a C string to an integer.  Used in DSNLEXER.
+typedef boost::unordered_map< const char*, int >       KEYWORD_MAP;
+
+/// Map a C string to an EDA_RECT.
+/// The key is the classname of the derived wxformbuilder dialog.
+typedef boost::unordered_map< const char*, EDA_RECT >  RECT_MAP;
+
+
+#elif 1     // wx is inconsistent accross platforms, will soon switch to boost
 
-// Declare some hashtables using a MACRO techique from here:
 // http://docs.wxwidgets.org/trunk/classwx_hash_map.html
-// This simplifies finding the correct hashtable header file.
-// Ideally, std::unordered_map is what we are trying to use here,
-// but its header file has been a moving target for some time.
-// Let wx figure it out.
 #include <wx/hashmap.h>
 
-/**
- * Class PROPERTIES
- * is an associative array consisting of a key and value tuple.
- */
-#if 1
-    // key:     const char*
-    // value:   wxString
-    WX_DECLARE_HASH_MAP( char*, wxString, wxStringHash, wxStringEqual, PROPERTIES );
-#else
-    // key:     wxString
-    // value:   wxString
-    WX_DECLARE_STRING_HASH_MAP( wxString, PROPERTIES );
+/// Map a C string to a wxString, used in PLUGINs.
+WX_DECLARE_HASH_MAP( char*, wxString, wxStringHash, wxStringEqual, PROPERTIES );
+
+/// Map a C string to an integer.  Used in DSNLEXER.
+WX_DECLARE_HASH_MAP( char*, int, wxStringHash, wxStringEqual, KEYWORD_MAP );
+
+/// Map a C string to an EDA_RECT.
+/// The key is the classname of the derived wxformbuilder dialog.
+WX_DECLARE_HASH_MAP( char*, EDA_RECT, wxStringHash, wxStringEqual, RECT_MAP );
+
 #endif
 
-
-/**
- * Class KEYWORD_MAP
- * is a hashtable consisting of a key and a value tuple.
- * Key is a C string and value is an integer.
- */
-//WX_DECLARE_HASH_MAP( char*, int, wxStringHash, wxStringEqual, KEYWORD_MAP );
-
-
 #endif // HASHTABLES_H_
diff --git a/include/xnode.h b/include/xnode.h
index ed58bdb779..17c46a701a 100644
--- a/include/xnode.h
+++ b/include/xnode.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#ifndef _XATTR_H_
-#define _XATTR_H_
+#ifndef XATTR_H_
+#define XATTR_H_
 
 /*
  * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
@@ -108,4 +108,4 @@ public:
 #endif
 };
 
-#endif  // _XATTR_H_
+#endif  // XATTR_H_