diff --git a/include/ccnx-closure.h b/include/ccnx-closure.h
index 01358c4..a2c8b7d 100644
--- a/include/ccnx-closure.h
+++ b/include/ccnx-closure.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define CCNX_CLOSURE_H
 
 #include "ccnx-common.h"
+#include "ccnx-name.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@
 class Closure
 {
 public:
-  typedef boost::function<void (const string &, const Bytes &)> DataCallback;
+  typedef boost::function<void (const Name &, const Bytes &)> DataCallback;
 
   typedef enum
   {
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
     RESULT_REEXPRESS
   } TimeoutCallbackReturnValue;
 
-  typedef boost::function<TimeoutCallbackReturnValue (const string &)> TimeoutCallback;
+  typedef boost::function<TimeoutCallbackReturnValue (const Name &)> TimeoutCallback;
 
   Closure(int retry, const DataCallback &dataCallback, const TimeoutCallback &timeoutCallback);
   Closure(const Closure &other);
@@ -26,9 +27,9 @@
   void decRetry() { m_retry--;}
   virtual ~Closure();
   virtual void
-  runDataCallback(const string &name, const Bytes &content);
+  runDataCallback(const Name &name, const Bytes &content);
   virtual TimeoutCallbackReturnValue
-  runTimeoutCallback(const string &interest);
+  runTimeoutCallback(const Name &interest);
 
 protected:
   int m_retry;
diff --git a/include/ccnx-name.h b/include/ccnx-name.h
index 84c045f..59e34a5 100644
--- a/include/ccnx-name.h
+++ b/include/ccnx-name.h
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 
 namespace Ccnx {
 
+class CcnxCharbuf;
+typedef boost::shared_ptr<CcnxCharbuf> CcnxCharbufPtr;
+
 //  This class is mostly used in CcnxWrapper; users should not be directly using this class
 // The main purpose of this class to is avoid manually create and destroy charbuf everytime
 class CcnxCharbuf
@@ -17,15 +20,16 @@
   // expose internal data structure, use with caution!!
   ccn_charbuf *
   getBuf() { return m_buf; }
+  static CcnxCharbufPtr Null;
 
 protected:
   ccn_charbuf *m_buf;
 };
 
-typedef boost::shared_ptr<CcnxCharbuf> CcnxCharbufPtr;
 
 struct NameException:
   virtual boost::exception, virtual exception {};
+
 class Name
 {
 public:
@@ -58,8 +62,22 @@
   getCompAsString(int index) const;
 
   Name
-  getPartialName(int start, int n) const;
+  getPartialName(int start, int n = -1) const;
 
+  string
+  toString() const;
+
+  Name &
+  operator=(const Name &other);
+
+  bool
+  operator==(const string &str);
+
+  bool
+  operator!=(const string &str);
+
+  friend Name
+  operator+(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
 
 protected:
   vector<Bytes> m_comps;
@@ -68,6 +86,16 @@
 ostream&
 operator <<(ostream &os, const Name &name);
 
+bool
+operator ==(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
+
+bool
+operator !=(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
+
+bool
+operator <(const Name &n1, const Name &n2);
+
+
 struct InterestSelectorException:
   virtual boost::exception, virtual exception {};
 
@@ -117,7 +145,13 @@
   publisherPublicKeyDigest(const Bytes &digest) {m_publisherPublicKeyDigest = digest; return *this;}
 
   CcnxCharbufPtr
-  toCcnxCharbuf();
+  toCcnxCharbuf() const;
+
+  bool
+  isEmpty() const;
+
+  bool
+  operator==(const Selectors &other);
 
 private:
   int m_maxSuffixComps;
diff --git a/include/ccnx-pco.h b/include/ccnx-pco.h
index 829e0cc..72a7289 100644
--- a/include/ccnx-pco.h
+++ b/include/ccnx-pco.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "ccnx-wrapper.h"
 #include "ccnx-common.h"
+#include "ccnx-name.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@
   Bytes
   content() const;
 
-  string
+  Name
   name() const;
 
 protected:
diff --git a/include/ccnx-tunnel.h b/include/ccnx-tunnel.h
index 15d5223..732370d 100644
--- a/include/ccnx-tunnel.h
+++ b/include/ccnx-tunnel.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include "ccnx-common.h"
 #include "ccnx-wrapper.h"
+#include "ccnx-name.h"
 
 #define _OVERRIDE
 #ifdef __GNUC__
@@ -24,8 +25,8 @@
 class CcnxTunnel : public CcnxWrapper
 {
 public:
-  typedef multimap<string, InterestCallback> RegisteredInterestTable;
-  typedef multimap<string, InterestCallback>::iterator RitIter;
+  typedef multimap<Name, InterestCallback> RegisteredInterestTable;
+  typedef multimap<Name, InterestCallback>::iterator RitIter;
 
 
   CcnxTunnel();
@@ -33,50 +34,50 @@
 
   // name is topology-independent
   virtual int
-  publishData(const string &name, const unsigned char *buf, size_t len, int freshness) _OVERRIDE;
+  publishData(const Name &name, const unsigned char *buf, size_t len, int freshness) _OVERRIDE;
 
   int
-  publishContentObject(const string &name, const Bytes &contentObject, int freshness);
+  publishContentObject(const Name &name, const Bytes &contentObject, int freshness);
 
   virtual int
-  sendInterest (const string &interest, Closure *closure);
+  sendInterest (const Name &interest, Closure *closure, const Selectors &selectors = Selectors());
 
 
   // prefix is topology-independent
   virtual int
-  setInterestFilter(const string &prefix, const InterestCallback &interestCallback) _OVERRIDE;
+  setInterestFilter(const Name &prefix, const InterestCallback &interestCallback) _OVERRIDE;
 
   // prefix is topology-independent
   // this clears all entries with key equal to prefix
   virtual void
-  clearInterestFilter(const string &prefix) _OVERRIDE;
+  clearInterestFilter(const Name &prefix) _OVERRIDE;
 
   // subclass should provide translation service from topology-independent name
   // to routable name
-  virtual string
-  queryRoutableName(const string &name) = 0;
+  virtual Name
+  queryRoutableName(const Name &name) = 0;
 
   // subclass should implement the function to store ContentObject with topoloy-independent
   // name to the permanent storage; default does nothing
   virtual void
-  storeContentObject(const string &name, const Bytes &content) {}
+  storeContentObject(const Name &name, const Bytes &content) {}
 
   // should be called  when connect to a different network
   void
   refreshLocalPrefix();
 
   static bool
-  isPrefix(const string &prefix, const string &name);
+  isPrefix(const Name &prefix, const Name &name);
 
   void
-  handleTunneledInterest(const string &tunneldInterest);
+  handleTunneledInterest(const Name &tunneldInterest);
 
   void
-  handleTunneledData(const string &name, const Bytes &tunneledData, const Closure::DataCallback &originalDataCallback);
+  handleTunneledData(const Name &name, const Bytes &tunneledData, const Closure::DataCallback &originalDataCallback);
 
 protected:
   // need a way to update local prefix, perhaps using macports trick, but eventually we need something more portable
-  string m_localPrefix;
+  Name m_localPrefix;
   RegisteredInterestTable m_rit;
   Lock m_ritLock;
 };
@@ -84,19 +85,19 @@
 class TunnelClosure : public Closure
 {
 public:
-  TunnelClosure(int retry, const DataCallback &dataCallback, const TimeoutCallback &timeoutCallback, CcnxTunnel *tunnel, const string &originalInterest);
+  TunnelClosure(int retry, const DataCallback &dataCallback, const TimeoutCallback &timeoutCallback, CcnxTunnel *tunnel, const Name &originalInterest);
 
-  TunnelClosure(const Closure *closure, CcnxTunnel *tunnel, const string &originalInterest);
+  TunnelClosure(const Closure *closure, CcnxTunnel *tunnel, const Name &originalInterest);
 
   virtual void
-  runDataCallback(const string &name, const Bytes &content) _OVERRIDE;
+  runDataCallback(const Name &name, const Bytes &content) _OVERRIDE;
 
   virtual TimeoutCallbackReturnValue
-  runTimeoutCallback(const string &interest) _OVERRIDE;
+  runTimeoutCallback(const Name &interest) _OVERRIDE;
 
 private:
   CcnxTunnel *m_tunnel;
-  string m_originalInterest;
+  Name m_originalInterest;
 };
 
 };
diff --git a/include/ccnx-wrapper.h b/include/ccnx-wrapper.h
index 90089e7..77246ce 100644
--- a/include/ccnx-wrapper.h
+++ b/include/ccnx-wrapper.h
@@ -25,35 +25,32 @@
   typedef boost::recursive_mutex RecLock;
   typedef boost::unique_lock<RecLock> UniqueRecLock;
 
-  typedef boost::function<void (const string &)> InterestCallback;
+  typedef boost::function<void (const Name &)> InterestCallback;
 
   CcnxWrapper();
   virtual ~CcnxWrapper();
 
   virtual int
-  setInterestFilter (const string &prefix, const InterestCallback &interestCallback);
+  setInterestFilter (const Name &prefix, const InterestCallback &interestCallback);
 
   virtual void
-  clearInterestFilter (const string &prefix);
+  clearInterestFilter (const Name &prefix);
 
   virtual int
-  sendInterest (const string &interest, Closure *closure);
+  sendInterest (const Name &interest, Closure *closure, const Selectors &selector = Selectors());
 
   virtual int
-  publishData (const string &name, const unsigned char *buf, size_t len, int freshness);
+  publishData (const Name &name, const unsigned char *buf, size_t len, int freshness);
 
   int
-  publishData (const string &name, const Bytes &content, int freshness);
+  publishData (const Name &name, const Bytes &content, int freshness);
 
-  static string
+  static Name
   getLocalPrefix ();
 
-  static string
-  extractName(const unsigned char *data, const ccn_indexbuf *comps);
-
 protected:
   Bytes
-  createContentObject(const string &name, const unsigned char *buf, size_t len, int freshness);
+  createContentObject(const Name &name, const unsigned char *buf, size_t len, int freshness);
 
   int
   putToCcnd (const Bytes &contentObject);
@@ -92,8 +89,7 @@
   boost::thread m_thread;
   bool m_running;
   bool m_connected;
-  map<string, InterestCallback> m_registeredInterests;
-  // std::list< std::pair<std::string, InterestCallback> > m_registeredInterests;
+  map<Name, InterestCallback> m_registeredInterests;
 };
 
 typedef boost::shared_ptr<CcnxWrapper> CcnxWrapperPtr;