diff --git a/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/binary-xml-wire-format.hpp b/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/binary-xml-wire-format.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb4f0aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/binary-xml-wire-format.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 Regents of the University of California.
+ * @author: Jeff Thompson <jefft0@remap.ucla.edu>
+ * See COPYING for copyright and distribution information.
+ */
+
+#ifndef NDN_BINARYXMLWIREFORMAT_HPP
+#define NDN_BINARYXMLWIREFORMAT_HPP
+
+#include "wire-format.hpp"
+
+namespace ndn {
+
+/**
+ * A BinaryXmlWireFormat extends WireFormat to override its virtual methods to implement encoding and decoding
+ * using binary XML.
+ */
+class BinaryXmlWireFormat : public WireFormat {
+public:
+  /**
+   * Encode interest in binary XML and return the encoding.
+   * @param interest The Interest object to encode.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   */  
+  virtual Blob 
+  encodeInterest(const Interest& interest);
+    
+  /**
+   * Decode input as an interest in binary XML and set the fields of the interest object.
+   * @param interest The Interest object whose fields are updated.
+   * @param input A pointer to the input buffer to decode.
+   * @param inputLength The number of bytes in input.
+   */
+  virtual void 
+  decodeInterest(Interest& interest, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength);
+
+  /**
+   * Encode data with binary XML and return the encoding.
+   * @param data The Data object to encode.
+   * @param signedPortionBeginOffset Return the offset in the encoding of the beginning of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not encoding in order to sign, you can call encodeData(const Data& data) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @param signedPortionEndOffset Return the offset in the encoding of the end of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not encoding in order to sign, you can call encodeData(const Data& data) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   */
+  virtual Blob 
+  encodeData
+    (const Data& data, size_t *signedPortionBeginOffset, size_t *signedPortionEndOffset);
+  
+  /**
+   * Decode input as a data packet in binary XML and set the fields in the data object.
+   * @param data The Data object whose fields are updated.
+   * @param input A pointer to the input buffer to decode.
+   * @param inputLength The number of bytes in input.
+   * @param signedPortionBeginOffset Return the offset in the input buffer of the beginning of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not decoding in order to verify, you can call 
+   * decodeData(Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @param signedPortionEndOffset Return the offset in the input buffer of the end of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not decoding in order to verify, you can call 
+   * decodeData(Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength) to ignore this returned value.
+   */  
+  virtual void 
+  decodeData
+    (Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength, size_t *signedPortionBeginOffset, size_t *signedPortionEndOffset);
+
+  /**
+   * Encode forwardingEntry in binary XML and return the encoding. 
+   * @param forwardingEntry The ForwardingEntry object to encode.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   */
+  virtual Blob 
+  encodeForwardingEntry(const ForwardingEntry& forwardingEntry);
+  
+  /**
+   * Decode input as a forwarding entry in binary XML and set the fields of the forwardingEntry object. 
+   * @param forwardingEntry The ForwardingEntry object whose fields are updated.
+   * @param input A pointer to the input buffer to decode.
+   * @param inputLength The number of bytes in input.
+   */
+  virtual void 
+  decodeForwardingEntry(ForwardingEntry& forwardingEntry, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength);
+};
+  
+}
+
+#endif
+
diff --git a/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/element-listener.hpp b/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/element-listener.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d13312
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/element-listener.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 Regents of the University of California.
+ * @author: Jeff Thompson <jefft0@remap.ucla.edu>
+ * See COPYING for copyright and distribution information.
+ */
+
+#ifndef NDN_ELEMENT_LISTENER_HPP
+#define NDN_ELEMENT_LISTENER_HPP
+
+#include "../c/encoding/element-listener.h"
+
+namespace ndn {
+
+/**
+ * An ElementListener extends an ndn_ElementListener struct to proved an abstract virtual onReceivedElement function which wraps
+ * the onReceivedElement used by the ndn_ElementListener struct.  You must extend this class to override onReceivedElement.
+ */
+class ElementListener : public ndn_ElementListener {
+public:
+  ElementListener() 
+  {
+    ndn_ElementListener_initialize(this, staticOnReceivedElement);
+  }
+  
+  /**
+   * This is called when an entire binary XML element is received.  You must extend this class to override this method.
+   * @param element pointer to the binary XML element.  This buffer is only valid during this call.  If you need the data
+   * later, you must copy.
+   * @param elementLength length of element
+   */
+  virtual void 
+  onReceivedElement(const uint8_t *element, size_t elementLength) = 0;
+  
+private:
+  /**
+   * Call the virtual method onReceivedElement. This is used to initialize the base ndn_ElementListener struct.
+   * @param self
+   * @param element
+   * @param elementLength
+   */
+  static void 
+  staticOnReceivedElement(struct ndn_ElementListener *self, uint8_t *element, size_t elementLength);
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/wire-format.hpp b/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/wire-format.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a40cd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ndn-cpp/encoding/wire-format.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 Regents of the University of California.
+ * @author: Jeff Thompson <jefft0@remap.ucla.edu>
+ * See COPYING for copyright and distribution information.
+ */
+
+#ifndef NDN_WIREFORMAT_HPP
+#define NDN_WIREFORMAT_HPP
+
+#include "../common.hpp"
+#include "../util/blob.hpp"
+
+namespace ndn {
+  
+class Interest;
+class Data;
+class ForwardingEntry;
+  
+class WireFormat {
+public:
+  /**
+   * Encode interest and return the encoding.  Your derived class should override.
+   * @param interest The Interest object to encode.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */
+  virtual Blob 
+  encodeInterest(const Interest& interest);
+  
+  /**
+   * Decode input as an interest and set the fields of the interest object.  Your derived class should override.
+   * @param interest The Interest object whose fields are updated.
+   * @param input A pointer to the input buffer to decode.
+   * @param inputLength The number of bytes in input.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */
+  virtual void 
+  decodeInterest(Interest& interest, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength);
+
+  /**
+   * Encode data and return the encoding.  Your derived class should override.
+   * @param data The Data object to encode.
+   * @param signedPortionBeginOffset Return the offset in the encoding of the beginning of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not encoding in order to sign, you can call encodeData(const Data& data) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @param signedPortionEndOffset Return the offset in the encoding of the end of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not encoding in order to sign, you can call encodeData(const Data& data) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */
+  virtual Blob 
+  encodeData
+    (const Data& data, size_t *signedPortionBeginOffset, size_t *signedPortionEndOffset);
+
+  /**
+   * Encode data and return the encoding.
+   * @param data The Data object to encode.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */
+  Blob 
+  encodeData(const Data& data)
+  {
+    size_t dummyBeginOffset, dummyEndOffset;
+    return encodeData(data, &dummyBeginOffset, &dummyEndOffset);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Decode input as a data packet and set the fields in the data object.  Your derived class should override.
+   * @param data The Data object whose fields are updated.
+   * @param input A pointer to the input buffer to decode.
+   * @param inputLength The number of bytes in input.
+   * @param signedPortionBeginOffset Return the offset in the input buffer of the beginning of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not decoding in order to verify, you can call 
+   * decodeData(Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @param signedPortionEndOffset Return the offset in the input buffer of the end of the signed portion.
+   * If you are not decoding in order to verify, you can call 
+   * decodeData(Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength) to ignore this returned value.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */  
+  virtual void 
+  decodeData
+    (Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength, size_t *signedPortionBeginOffset, size_t *signedPortionEndOffset);
+
+  void 
+  decodeData(Data& data, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength)
+  {
+    size_t dummyBeginOffset, dummyEndOffset;
+    decodeData(data, input, inputLength, &dummyBeginOffset, &dummyEndOffset);
+  }
+  
+  /**
+   * Encode forwardingEntry and return the encoding.  Your derived class should override.
+   * @param forwardingEntry The ForwardingEntry object to encode.
+   * @return A Blob containing the encoding.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */
+  virtual Blob 
+  encodeForwardingEntry(const ForwardingEntry& forwardingEntry);
+  
+  /**
+   * Decode input as a forwarding entry and set the fields of the forwardingEntry object.  Your derived class should override.
+   * @param forwardingEntry The ForwardingEntry object whose fields are updated.
+   * @param input A pointer to the input buffer to decode.
+   * @param inputLength The number of bytes in input.
+   * @throw logic_error for unimplemented if the derived class does not override.
+   */
+  virtual void 
+  decodeForwardingEntry(ForwardingEntry& forwardingEntry, const uint8_t *input, size_t inputLength);
+
+  /**
+   * Set the static default WireFormat used by default encoding and decoding methods.
+   * @param wireFormat A Pointer to an object of a subclass of WireFormat.  This does not make a copy and
+   * the caller must ensure that the object remains allocated.
+   */
+  static void 
+  setDefaultWireFormat(WireFormat *wireFormat) 
+  {
+    defaultWireFormat_ = wireFormat;
+  }
+  
+  /**
+   * Return the default WireFormat used by default encoding and decoding methods which was set with
+   * setDefaultWireFormat.
+   * @return A pointer to the WireFormat object.
+   */
+  static WireFormat*
+  getDefaultWireFormat();
+  
+private:
+  /**
+   * This is implemented by only one of the subclasses of WireFormat to return a new object used
+   * as the initial value for the default WireFormat.  If the application doesn't include that class, then the application
+   * needs to include another subclass which defines WireFormat::newInitialDefaultWireFormat.
+   * @return a new object, which is held by a shared_ptr and freed when the application exits.
+   */
+  static WireFormat*
+  newInitialDefaultWireFormat();
+  
+  static WireFormat *defaultWireFormat_;
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif
+