Replaces GLib's g_ascii_strcasecmp().

Publish the Client API, preparing to move more code into the Client
class.

Automatic memory management.

Both callers pass non-nullptr.

Lifts the artificial 31 bit limit in i386 where
sizeof(long)==sizeof(int).

The "loop_count" configuration parameter allows the user to set how
many times a module with backward loops shall loop. "0" (the default)
means a module is not allowed to use backward loops at all. "-1"
enables inifinite looping.