int get_race_by_name( char *argument)
{
    int x;

    if (is_number(argument) && npc_race[atoi(argument)])
      return atoi(argument);
    for ( x = 0; x < MAX_NPC_RACE; x++ )
      if ( npc_race[x] && !str_cmp(argument, npc_race[x]) )
        return x;
    return -1;
}

int get_class_by_name( char *argument)
{
  int iClass;

  if (is_number(argument) && class_table[atoi(argument)])
      return atoi(argument);
  for (iClass = 0; iClass < MAX_PC_CLASS; iClass++)
  {
    if (!str_cmp(argument, class_table[iClass]->who_name))
     return iClass;
  }
  return -1;
}

CHAR_DATA *get_mob(int vnum)
{
    CHAR_DATA *wch;

    if ( get_mob_index( vnum) == NULL)
     return NULL;

    /* check the world for an exact match */
    for ( wch = first_char; wch; wch = wch->next )
	if (IS_NPC(wch) && vnum == wch->pIndexData->vnum )
		return wch;

    return NULL;
}

OBJ_DATA *obj_by_vnum(int vnum)
{
    OBJ_DATA *obj;

    if ( get_obj_index( vnum) == NULL)
     return NULL;

    for ( obj = first_object; obj; obj = obj->next )
	if ( vnum == obj->pIndexData->vnum)
		return obj;

    return NULL;
}