diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-common.h b/ccnx/ccnx-common.h
index 1824025..96f60ff 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-common.h
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-common.h
@@ -40,10 +40,9 @@
 #include <utility>
 #include <string.h>
 
-using namespace std;
 namespace Ccnx {
-typedef vector<unsigned char> Bytes;
-typedef vector<string>Comps;
+typedef std::vector<unsigned char> Bytes;
+typedef std::vector<std::string>Comps;
 
 typedef boost::shared_ptr<Bytes> BytesPtr;
 
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-name.cpp b/ccnx/ccnx-name.cpp
index cf6a475..cc34c23 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-name.cpp
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-name.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string/join.hpp>
 
+using namespace std;
+
 namespace Ccnx{
-CcnxCharbufPtr CcnxCharbuf::Null;
 
 void
 CcnxCharbuf::init(ccn_charbuf *buf)
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-name.h b/ccnx/ccnx-name.h
index ff93a7d..72f790a 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-name.h
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-name.h
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@
   const ccn_charbuf *
   getBuf() const { return m_buf; }
 
-  static CcnxCharbufPtr Null;
-
   const unsigned char *
   buf () const
   { return m_buf->buf; }
@@ -66,14 +64,14 @@
 
 
 struct NameException:
-  virtual boost::exception, virtual exception {};
+    virtual boost::exception, virtual std::exception {};
 
 class Name
 {
 public:
   Name();
-  Name(const string &name);
-  Name(const vector<Bytes> &comps);
+  Name(const std::string &name);
+  Name(const std::vector<Bytes> &comps);
   Name(const Name &other);
   Name(const unsigned char *data, const ccn_indexbuf *comps);
   Name (const unsigned char *buf, const size_t length);
@@ -93,7 +91,7 @@
   appendComp(const Bytes &comp);
 
   Name &
-  appendComp(const string &compStr);
+  appendComp(const std::string &compStr);
 
   Name &
   appendComp(const void *buf, size_t size);
@@ -121,39 +119,45 @@
   Bytes
   getComp(int index) const;
 
-  // return string format of the comp
+  // return std::string format of the comp
   // if all characters are printable, simply returns the string
   // if not, print the bytes in hex string format
-  string
+  std::string
   getCompAsString(int index) const;
 
   uint64_t
   getCompAsInt (int index) const;
 
+  inline std::string
+  getCompFromBackAsString(int index) const;
+
+  inline uint64_t
+  getCompFromBackAsInt (int index) const;
+
   Name
   getPartialName(int start, int n = -1) const;
 
-  string
+  std::string
   toString() const;
 
   Name &
   operator=(const Name &other);
 
   bool
-  operator==(const string &str) const;
+  operator==(const std::string &str) const;
 
   bool
-  operator!=(const string &str) const;
+  operator!=(const std::string &str) const;
 
   friend Name
   operator+(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
 
 private:
-  vector<Bytes> m_comps;
+  std::vector<Bytes> m_comps;
 };
 
-ostream&
-operator <<(ostream &os, const Name &name);
+std::ostream&
+operator <<(std::ostream &os, const Name &name);
 
 bool
 operator ==(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
@@ -165,6 +169,18 @@
 operator <(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
 
 
+std::string
+Name::getCompFromBackAsString(int index) const
+{
+  return getCompAsString (m_comps.size () - 1 - index);
+}
+
+uint64_t
+Name::getCompFromBackAsInt (int index) const
+{
+  return getCompAsInt (m_comps.size () - 1 - index);
+}
+
 
 } // Ccnx
 #endif
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-pco.h b/ccnx/ccnx-pco.h
index cecc763..cdb2a7e 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-pco.h
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-pco.h
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
   Name
   name() const;
 
+  inline const Bytes &
+  buf () const;
+
 private:
   void
   init(const unsigned char *data, size_t len);
@@ -58,6 +61,13 @@
   Bytes m_bytes;
 };
 
+const Bytes &
+ParsedContentObject::buf () const
+{
+  return m_bytes;
+}
+
+
 typedef boost::shared_ptr<ParsedContentObject> PcoPtr;
 
 }
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.cpp b/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.cpp
index 001c1b7..b349cc1 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.cpp
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 #include "ccnx-common.h"
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
+using namespace std;
+
 namespace Ccnx {
 
 Selectors::Selectors()
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@
 {
   if (isEmpty())
   {
-    return CcnxCharbuf::Null;
+    return CcnxCharbufPtr ();
   }
   CcnxCharbufPtr ptr(new CcnxCharbuf());
   ccn_charbuf *cbuf = ptr->getBuf();
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.h b/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.h
index 420f33e..56e29b5 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.h
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-selectors.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 namespace Ccnx {
 
 struct InterestSelectorException:
-  virtual boost::exception, virtual exception {};
+    virtual boost::exception, virtual std::exception {};
 
 class Selectors
 {
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.cpp b/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.cpp
index 7f2e567..a8c06a3 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.cpp
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@
 
   CcnxCharbufPtr selectorsPtr = selectors.toCcnxCharbuf();
   ccn_charbuf *templ = NULL;
-  if (selectorsPtr != CcnxCharbuf::Null)
+  if (selectorsPtr)
   {
     templ = selectorsPtr->getBuf();
   }
diff --git a/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.h b/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.h
index cfd030b..c1c9b9b 100644
--- a/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.h
+++ b/ccnx/ccnx-wrapper.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
   boost::thread m_thread;
   bool m_running;
   bool m_connected;
-  map<Name, InterestCallback> m_registeredInterests;
+  std::map<Name, InterestCallback> m_registeredInterests;
 };
 
 typedef boost::shared_ptr<CcnxWrapper> CcnxWrapperPtr;