diff --git a/tests/daemon/fw/choose-strategy.hpp b/tests/daemon/fw/choose-strategy.hpp
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+++ b/tests/daemon/fw/choose-strategy.hpp
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+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
+ *                           Colorado State University,
+ *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
+ *                           Washington University in St. Louis,
+ *                           Beijing Institute of Technology,
+ *                           The University of Memphis.
+ *
+ * This file is part of NFD (Named Data Networking Forwarding Daemon).
+ * See AUTHORS.md for complete list of NFD authors and contributors.
+ *
+ * NFD is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms
+ * of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation,
+ * either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * NFD 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
+ * NFD, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef NFD_TESTS_DAEMON_FW_CHOOSE_STRATEGY_HPP
+#define NFD_TESTS_DAEMON_FW_CHOOSE_STRATEGY_HPP
+
+#include "fw/forwarder.hpp"
+#include "table/strategy-choice.hpp"
+
+namespace nfd {
+namespace fw {
+class Strategy;
+} // namespace fw
+
+namespace tests {
+
+/** \brief choose the strategy for a namespace
+ *  \tparam S strategy type, must be a complete type
+ *  \param forwarder the forwarder
+ *  \param prefix namespace to choose the strategy for
+ *  \param instanceName strategy instance name; the strategy must already be registered
+ *  \throw std::invalid_argument cannot find strategy by instanceName
+ *  \throw std::bad_cast strategy type is incompatible with S
+ *  \return a reference to the strategy
+ */
+template<typename S>
+typename std::enable_if<std::is_base_of<fw::Strategy, S>::value, S&>::type
+choose(Forwarder& forwarder, const Name& prefix = "/",
+       const Name& instanceName = S::getStrategyName())
+{
+  StrategyChoice& sc = forwarder.getStrategyChoice();
+  bool isInserted = sc.insert(prefix, instanceName);
+  if (!isInserted) {
+    BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::invalid_argument("cannot create strategy"));
+  }
+  return dynamic_cast<S&>(sc.findEffectiveStrategy(prefix));
+}
+
+} // namespace tests
+} // namespace nfd
+
+#endif // NFD_TESTS_DAEMON_FW_CHOOSE_STRATEGY_HPP