diff --git a/bitvector.h b/bitvector.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16dcf4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitvector.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#ifndef _BITVECTOR_H_
+#define _BITVECTOR_H_
+
+#include "vec.h"
+
+//compressed storage of large bit vectors
+class bitvector : public NRVec<unsigned char>
+	{
+private:
+	int modulo;
+public:
+	bitvector() : NRVec<unsigned char>() {};
+	explicit bitvector (const int n):NRVec<unsigned char>((n+7)>>3) {modulo=n&7;};
+	bitvector (const int a, const int n):NRVec<unsigned char>(a,(n+7)>>3) {modulo=n&7;};
+	bitvector(const bitvector &rhs) : NRVec<unsigned char>(rhs) {};
+	//overrige dereferencing to address single bits, is however possible
+	//only in the const context (otherwise we would have to define a type which, when assigned to, changes a single bit - possible but probably inefficient)
+	void resize(const int n) {NRVec<unsigned char>::resize((n+7)>>3); modulo=n&7;};
+	const int size() const {return (nn<<3)-8+modulo?modulo:8;};
+        const bool operator[](const int i) const {return (v[i>>3] >>(i&7))&1;};
+	void set(const int i) {v[i>>3] |= (1<<(i&7));};
+	void reset(const int i) {v[i>>3] &= ~(1<<(i&7));};
+	const bool get(const int i) {return (v[i>>3] >>(i&7))&1;};
+	const bool assign(const int i, const bool r) {if(r) set(i); else reset(i); return r;};
+	void clear() {memset(v,0,nn);};
+	void fill() {memset(v,0xff,nn);};
+	};
+
+#endif