diff --git a/model/ccnx-name-components.h b/model/ccnx-name-components.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55cd5ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/model/ccnx-name-components.h
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011 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: Ilya Moiseenko <iliamo@cs.ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#ifndef _NDN_NAME_COMPONENTS_H_
+#define _NDN_NAME_COMPONENTS_H_
+
+#include "ns3/simple-ref-count.h"
+#include "ns3/attribute.h"
+#include "ns3/attribute-helper.h"
+
+#include <string>
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <list>
+#include "ns3/object.h"
+
+namespace ns3 {
+
+class CcnxNameComponents : public Object
+
+{
+public:
+  CcnxNameComponents ();
+  CcnxNameComponents (const std::string &s);
+  ~CcnxNameComponents ();
+  
+  inline void
+  Add (const std::string &s);
+       
+  CcnxNameComponents&
+  operator () (const std::string &s);
+
+  const std::list<std::string> &
+  GetComponents () const;
+  
+  // virtual uint32_t
+  // GetSerializedSize (void) const;
+
+  // virtual void
+  // Serialize (Buffer::Iterator start) const;
+
+  // virtual uint32_t
+  // Deserialize (Buffer::Iterator start);
+
+  void Print (std::ostream &os) const;
+
+  inline size_t
+  size () const;
+
+  inline bool
+  operator== (const CcnxNameComponents &prefix) const;
+
+  inline bool
+  operator< (const CcnxNameComponents &prefix) const;
+  
+private:
+  std::list<std::string> m_prefix;
+
+  typedef std::list<std::string>::iterator iterator;
+  typedef std::list<std::string>::const_iterator const_iterator;
+};
+
+std::ostream & operator << (std::ostream &os, const CcnxNameComponents &components);
+
+size_t
+CcnxNameComponents::size () const
+{
+  return m_prefix.size ();
+}
+  
+void
+CcnxNameComponents::Add (const std::string &s)
+{
+  (*this) (s);
+}
+
+bool
+CcnxNameComponents::operator== (const CcnxNameComponents &prefix) const
+{
+  if (m_prefix.size () != prefix.m_prefix.size ())
+    return false;
+  
+  return std::equal (m_prefix.begin (), m_prefix.end (), prefix.m_prefix.begin ());
+}
+
+bool
+CcnxNameComponents::operator< (const CcnxNameComponents &prefix) const
+{
+  return std::lexicographical_compare (m_prefix.begin (), m_prefix.end (),
+                                       prefix.m_prefix.begin (), prefix.m_prefix.end ());
+}
+
+    
+/**
+* \class ns3::ComponentsValue
+* \brief hold objects of type ns3:CcnxNameComponents
+*/
+ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_DEFINE (CcnxNameComponents);
+ATTRIBUTE_ACCESSOR_DEFINE (CcnxNameComponents);
+ATTRIBUTE_CHECKER_DEFINE (CcnxNameComponents);
+} // namespace ns3
+
+#endif // _NDN_NAME_COMPONENTS_H_
+