diff --git a/src/sync-state-helper.h b/src/sync-state-helper.h
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/src/sync-state-helper.h
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+/* -*- Mode: C++; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 University of California, Los Angeles
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation;
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ *
+ * Author: Alexander Afanasyev <alexander.afanasyev@ucla.edu>
+ *	   Zhenkai Zhu <zhenkai@cs.ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#ifndef SYNC_STATE_HELPER_H
+#define SYNC_STATE_HELPER_H
+
+#include "sync-state.pb.h"
+
+inline std::ostream &
+operator << (std::ostream &os, const SyncStateMsgPtr &msg)
+{
+  os << " ===== start Msg ======" << std::endl;
+
+  int size = msg->state_size();
+  if (size > 0)
+  {
+    int index = 0;
+    while (index < size)
+    {
+      SyncState state = msg->state(index);
+      string strName = state.name();
+      string strLocator = state.locator();
+      sqlite3_int64 seq = state.seq();
+
+      os << "Name: " << Ccnx::Name((const unsigned char *)strName.c_str(), strName.size())
+         << ", Locator: " << Ccnx::Name((const unsigned char *)strLocator.c_str(), strLocator.size())
+         << ", seq: " << seq << std::endl;
+      index ++;
+    }
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    os << "Msg size 0" << std::endl;
+  }
+  os << " ++++++++ end Msg  ++++++++ " << std::endl;
+
+  return os;
+}
+
+
+#endif // SYNC_STATE_HELPER_H