diff --git a/src/core/object.cc b/src/core/object.cc
index 874ada6d3..361a324d8 100644
--- a/src/core/object.cc
+++ b/src/core/object.cc
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ TypeId::TypeId ()
   : m_tid (0)
 {}
 
-TypeId::TypeId (std::string name)
+TypeId::TypeId (const char * name)
 {
   uint16_t uid = Singleton<IidManager>::Get ()->AllocateUid (name);
   NS_ASSERT (uid != 0);
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ TypeId::GetRegistered (uint32_t i)
 bool
 TypeId::LookupAttributeByName (std::string name, struct TypeId::AttributeInfo *info) const
 {
-  TypeId tid = TypeId (0);
+  TypeId tid;
   TypeId nextTid = *this;
   do {
     tid = nextTid;
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ bool
 TypeId::LookupAttributeByPosition (uint32_t i, struct TypeId::AttributeInfo *info) const
 {
   uint32_t cur = 0;
-  TypeId tid = TypeId (0);
+  TypeId tid;
   TypeId nextTid = *this;
   do {
     tid = nextTid;
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ TypeId::AddTraceSource (std::string name,
 Ptr<const TraceSourceAccessor> 
 TypeId::LookupTraceSourceByName (std::string name) const
 {
-  TypeId tid = TypeId (0);
+  TypeId tid;
   TypeId nextTid = *this;
   do {
     tid = nextTid;
@@ -739,6 +739,22 @@ TypeId::LookupTraceSourceByName (std::string name) const
   return 0;
 }
 
+std::ostream & operator << (std::ostream &os, TypeId tid)
+{
+  os << tid.GetName ();
+  return os;
+}
+std::istream & operator >> (std::istream &is, TypeId &tid)
+{
+  std::string tidString;
+  is >> tidString;
+  tid = TypeId::LookupByName (tidString);
+  return is;
+}
+
+
+VALUE_HELPER_CPP (TypeId);
+
 bool operator == (TypeId a, TypeId b)
 {
   return a.m_tid == b.m_tid;
diff --git a/src/core/object.h b/src/core/object.h
index f3ae57d96..09a5d182f 100644
--- a/src/core/object.h
+++ b/src/core/object.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "callback.h"
 #include "attribute.h"
 #include "object-base.h"
+#include "attribute-helper.h"
 
 #define NS_OBJECT_ENSURE_REGISTERED(type)       \
   static struct X##type##RegistrationClass      \
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ public:
    *
    * No two instances can share the same name.
    */
-  TypeId (std::string name);
+  TypeId (const char * name);
 
   /**
    * \returns the parent of this TypeId
@@ -255,6 +256,8 @@ public:
   // construct an invalid TypeId.
   TypeId ();
   ~TypeId ();
+
+  VALUE_HELPER_HEADER_1 (TypeId);
 private:
   friend class Object;
   friend class AttributeList;
@@ -285,6 +288,10 @@ private:
   uint16_t m_tid;
 };
 
+std::ostream & operator << (std::ostream &os, TypeId tid);
+std::istream & operator >> (std::istream &is, TypeId &tid);
+
+VALUE_HELPER_HEADER_2 (TypeId);
 
 /**
  * \brief a container of attributes to be used during object's construction
@@ -752,12 +759,26 @@ Ptr<T> CreateObject (T1 a1, T2 a2, T3 a3, T4 a4, T5 a5, T6 a6, T7 a7)
 template <typename T>
 Ptr<T> 
 CreateObjectWith (std::string n1 = "", Attribute v1 = Attribute (),
-                  std::string n2 = "", Attribute v2 = Attribute ())
+                  std::string n2 = "", Attribute v2 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n3 = "", Attribute v3 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n4 = "", Attribute v4 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n5 = "", Attribute v5 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n6 = "", Attribute v6 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n7 = "", Attribute v7 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n8 = "", Attribute v8 = Attribute (),
+                  std::string n9 = "", Attribute v9 = Attribute ())
               
 {
   AttributeList attributes;
   attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n1, v1);
   attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n2, v2);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n3, v3);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n4, v4);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n5, v5);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n6, v6);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n7, v7);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n8, v8);
+  attributes.SetWithTid (T::GetTypeId (), n9, v9);
   return CreateObject<T> (attributes);
 }