diff --git a/src/encoding/block-helpers.cpp b/src/encoding/block-helpers.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..594fc5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/encoding/block-helpers.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Regents of the University of California.
+ *
+ * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
+ *
+ * ndn-cxx library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ * terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * ndn-cxx library 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 Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received copies of the GNU General Public License and GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License along with ndn-cxx, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see
+ * <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * See AUTHORS.md for complete list of ndn-cxx authors and contributors.
+ */
+
+#include "block-helpers.hpp"
+
+namespace ndn {
+namespace encoding {
+
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type, uint64_t value)
+{
+  size_t valueLength = encoder.prependNonNegativeInteger(value);
+  size_t totalLength = valueLength;
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(valueLength);
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+
+  return totalLength;
+}
+
+template size_t
+prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock<EstimatorTag>(EncodingImpl<EstimatorTag>& encoder,
+                                             uint32_t type, uint64_t value);
+
+template size_t
+prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock<EncoderTag>(EncodingImpl<EncoderTag>& encoder,
+                                           uint32_t type, uint64_t value);
+
+
+Block
+makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock(uint32_t type, uint64_t value)
+{
+  EncodingEstimator estimator;
+  size_t totalLength = prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(estimator, type, value);
+
+  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
+  prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(encoder, type, value);
+
+  return encoder.block();
+}
+
+uint64_t
+readNonNegativeInteger(const Block& block)
+{
+  Buffer::const_iterator begin = block.value_begin();
+  return tlv::readNonNegativeInteger(block.value_size(), begin, block.value_end());
+}
+
+////////
+
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependEmptyBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type)
+{
+  size_t totalLength = encoder.prependVarNumber(0);
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+
+  return totalLength;
+}
+
+template size_t
+prependEmptyBlock<EstimatorTag>(EncodingImpl<EstimatorTag>& encoder, uint32_t type);
+
+template size_t
+prependEmptyBlock<EncoderTag>(EncodingImpl<EncoderTag>& encoder, uint32_t type);
+
+
+Block
+makeEmptyBlock(uint32_t type)
+{
+  EncodingEstimator estimator;
+  size_t totalLength = prependEmptyBlock(estimator, type);
+
+  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
+  prependEmptyBlock(encoder, type);
+
+  return encoder.block();
+}
+
+////////
+
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependStringBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type, const std::string& value)
+{
+  size_t valueLength = encoder.prependByteArray(reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(value.data()),
+                                                value.size());
+  size_t totalLength = valueLength;
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(valueLength);
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+
+  return totalLength;
+}
+
+template size_t
+prependStringBlock<EstimatorTag>(EncodingImpl<EstimatorTag>& encoder,
+                                 uint32_t type, const std::string& value);
+
+template size_t
+prependStringBlock<EncoderTag>(EncodingImpl<EncoderTag>& encoder,
+                               uint32_t type, const std::string& value);
+
+
+Block
+makeStringBlock(uint32_t type, const std::string& value)
+{
+  EncodingEstimator estimator;
+  size_t totalLength = prependStringBlock(estimator, type, value);
+
+  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
+  prependStringBlock(encoder, type, value);
+
+  return encoder.block();
+}
+
+std::string
+readString(const Block& block)
+{
+  return std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(block.value()), block.value_size());
+}
+
+////////
+
+Block
+makeBinaryBlock(uint32_t type, const uint8_t* value, size_t length)
+{
+  EncodingEstimator estimator;
+  size_t totalLength = estimator.prependByteArrayBlock(type, value, length);
+
+  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
+  encoder.prependByteArrayBlock(type, value, length);
+
+  return encoder.block();
+}
+
+Block
+makeBinaryBlock(uint32_t type, const char* value, size_t length)
+{
+  return makeBinaryBlock(type, reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(value), length);
+}
+
+} // namespace encoding
+} // namespace ndn
diff --git a/src/encoding/block-helpers.hpp b/src/encoding/block-helpers.hpp
index e3e86f4..5f26b17 100644
--- a/src/encoding/block-helpers.hpp
+++ b/src/encoding/block-helpers.hpp
@@ -24,115 +24,90 @@
 
 #include "block.hpp"
 #include "encoding-buffer.hpp"
+#include "../util/concepts.hpp"
 
 #include <iterator>
 
 namespace ndn {
+namespace encoding {
 
 /**
- * @deprecated Use Encoder::prependBlock and Estimator::prependBlock instead
+ * @brief Helper to prepend TLV block type @p type containing non-negative integer @p value
+ * @see makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock, readNonNegativeInteger
  */
-template<bool P>
-inline size_t
-prependBlock(EncodingImpl<P>& encoder, const Block& block)
-{
-  return encoder.prependBlock(block);
-}
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type, uint64_t value);
 
 /**
- * @deprecated Use Encoder::prependByteArrayBlock and Estimator::prependByteArrayBlock instead
+ * @brief Create a TLV block type @p type containing non-negative integer @p value
+ * @see prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock, readNonNegativeInteger
  */
-template<bool P>
-inline size_t
-prependByteArrayBlock(EncodingImpl<P>& encoder,
-                      uint32_t type, const uint8_t* array, size_t arraySize)
-{
-  return encoder.prependByteArrayBlock(type, array, arraySize);
-}
+Block
+makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock(uint32_t type, uint64_t value);
 
-template<bool P>
-inline size_t
-prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(EncodingImpl<P>& encoder, uint32_t type, uint64_t number)
-{
-  size_t valueLength = encoder.prependNonNegativeInteger(number);
-  size_t totalLength = valueLength;
-  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(valueLength);
-  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+/**
+ * @brief Helper to read a non-negative integer from a block
+ * @see prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock, makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock
+ * @throw tlv::Error if block does not contain a valid nonNegativeInteger
+ */
+uint64_t
+readNonNegativeInteger(const Block& block);
 
-  return totalLength;
-}
+////////
 
-template<bool P>
-inline size_t
-prependBooleanBlock(EncodingImpl<P>& encoder, uint32_t type)
-{
-  size_t totalLength = encoder.prependVarNumber(0);
-  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+/**
+ * @brief Helper to prepend TLV block type @p type containing no value (i.e., a boolean block)
+ * @see makeEmptyBlock
+ */
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependEmptyBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type);
 
-  return totalLength;
-}
+/**
+ * @brief Create a TLV block type @p type containing no value (i.e., a boolean block)
+ * @see prependEmptyBlock
+ */
+Block
+makeEmptyBlock(uint32_t type);
 
-template<bool P, class U>
-inline size_t
-prependNestedBlock(EncodingImpl<P>& encoder, uint32_t type, const U& nestedBlock)
-{
-  size_t valueLength = nestedBlock.wireEncode(encoder);
-  size_t totalLength = valueLength;
-  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(valueLength);
-  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+////////
 
-  return totalLength;
-}
+/**
+ * @brief Helper to prepend TLV block type @p type with value from a string @p value
+ * @see makeStringBlock, readString
+ */
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependStringBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type, const std::string& value);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Create a TLV block type @p type with value from a string @p
+ * @see prependStringBlock, readString
+ */
+Block
+makeStringBlock(uint32_t type, const std::string& value);
 
-inline Block
-nonNegativeIntegerBlock(uint32_t type, uint64_t value)
-{
-  EncodingEstimator estimator;
-  size_t totalLength = prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(estimator, type, value);
+/**
+ * @brief Helper to read a string value from a block
+ * @see prependStringBlock, makeStringBlock
+ */
+std::string
+readString(const Block& block);
 
-  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
-  prependNonNegativeIntegerBlock(encoder, type, value);
+////////
 
-  return encoder.block();
-}
+/**
+ * @brief Create a TLV block type @p type with value from a buffer @p value of size @p length
+ */
+Block
+makeBinaryBlock(uint32_t type, const uint8_t* value, size_t length);
 
-inline uint64_t
-readNonNegativeInteger(const Block& block)
-{
-  Buffer::const_iterator begin = block.value_begin();
-  return tlv::readNonNegativeInteger(block.value_size(), begin, block.value_end());
-}
-
-inline Block
-booleanBlock(uint32_t type)
-{
-  EncodingEstimator estimator;
-  size_t totalLength = prependBooleanBlock(estimator, type);
-
-  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
-  prependBooleanBlock(encoder, type);
-
-  return encoder.block();
-}
-
-inline Block
-dataBlock(uint32_t type, const uint8_t* data, size_t dataSize)
-{
-  EncodingEstimator estimator;
-  size_t totalLength = estimator.prependByteArrayBlock(type, data, dataSize);
-
-  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
-  encoder.prependByteArrayBlock(type, data, dataSize);
-
-  return encoder.block();
-}
-
-inline Block
-dataBlock(uint32_t type, const char* data, size_t dataSize)
-{
-  return dataBlock(type, reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t*>(data), dataSize);
-}
+/**
+ * @brief Create a TLV block type @p type with value from a buffer @p value of size @p length
+ */
+Block
+makeBinaryBlock(uint32_t type, const char* value, size_t length);
 
 /**
  * @brief Helper class template to create a data block when RandomAccessIterator is used
@@ -192,7 +167,7 @@
  */
 template<class Iterator>
 inline Block
-dataBlock(uint32_t type, Iterator first, Iterator last)
+makeBinaryBlock(uint32_t type, Iterator first, Iterator last)
 {
   static_assert(sizeof(typename std::iterator_traits<Iterator>::value_type) == 1,
                 "Iterator should point only to char or unsigned char");
@@ -206,6 +181,155 @@
   return DataBlock::makeBlock(type, first, last);
 }
 
+////////
+
+/**
+ * @brief Prepend a TLV block of type @p type with WireEncodable @p value as a value
+ * @tparam U type that satisfies WireEncodableWithEncodingBuffer concept
+ * @see makeNestedBlock
+ */
+template<Tag TAG, class U>
+inline size_t
+prependNestedBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type, const U& value)
+{
+  BOOST_CONCEPT_ASSERT((WireEncodableWithEncodingBuffer<U>));
+
+  size_t valueLength = value.wireEncode(encoder);
+  size_t totalLength = valueLength;
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(valueLength);
+  totalLength += encoder.prependVarNumber(type);
+
+  return totalLength;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Create a TLV block of type @p type with WireEncodable @p value as a value
+ * @tparam U type that satisfies WireEncodableWithEncodingBuffer concept
+ * @see prependNestedBlock
+ */
+template<class U>
+inline Block
+makeNestedBlock(uint32_t type, const U& value)
+{
+  EncodingEstimator estimator;
+  size_t totalLength = prependNestedBlock(estimator, type, value);
+
+  EncodingBuffer encoder(totalLength, 0);
+  prependNestedBlock(encoder, type, value);
+
+  return encoder.block();
+}
+
+#define NDN_CXX_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_BLOCK_HELPERS
+#ifdef NDN_CXX_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_BLOCK_HELPERS
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use Encoder::prependBlock and Estimator::prependBlock instead
+ */
+template<Tag TAG>
+inline size_t
+prependBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, const Block& block)
+{
+  return encoder.prependBlock(block);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use Encoder::prependByteArrayBlock and Estimator::prependByteArrayBlock instead
+ */
+template<Tag TAG>
+inline size_t
+prependByteArrayBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder,
+                      uint32_t type, const uint8_t* array, size_t arraySize)
+{
+  return encoder.prependByteArrayBlock(type, array, arraySize);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock instead
+ */
+inline Block
+nonNegativeIntegerBlock(uint32_t type, uint64_t value)
+{
+  return makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock(type, value);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use prependEmptyBlock instead
+ */
+template<Tag TAG>
+size_t
+prependBooleanBlock(EncodingImpl<TAG>& encoder, uint32_t type)
+{
+  return prependEmptyBlock(encoder, type);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use makeEmptyBlock instead
+ */
+inline Block
+booleanBlock(uint32_t type)
+{
+  return makeEmptyBlock(type);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use makeBinaryBlock instead
+ */
+inline Block
+dataBlock(uint32_t type, const uint8_t* data, size_t dataSize)
+{
+  return makeBinaryBlock(type, data, dataSize);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use makeBinaryBlock instead
+ */
+inline Block
+dataBlock(uint32_t type, const char* data, size_t dataSize)
+{
+  return makeBinaryBlock(type, data, dataSize);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use makeBinaryBlock instead
+ */
+template<class Iterator>
+inline Block
+dataBlock(uint32_t type, Iterator first, Iterator last)
+{
+  return makeBinaryBlock(type, first, last);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use makeNestedBlock instead
+ */
+template<class U>
+inline Block
+nestedBlock(uint32_t type, const U& value)
+{
+  return makeNestedBlock(type, value);
+}
+
+#endif // NDN_CXX_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_BLOCK_HELPERS
+
+} // namespace encoding
+
+using encoding::makeNonNegativeIntegerBlock;
+using encoding::readNonNegativeInteger;
+using encoding::makeEmptyBlock;
+using encoding::makeStringBlock;
+using encoding::readString;
+using encoding::makeBinaryBlock;
+using encoding::makeNestedBlock;
+
+#ifdef NDN_CXX_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_BLOCK_HELPERS
+
+using encoding::nonNegativeIntegerBlock;
+using encoding::booleanBlock;
+using encoding::dataBlock;
+
+#endif // NDN_CXX_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_BLOCK_HELPERS
+
 } // namespace ndn
 
 #endif // NDN_ENCODING_BLOCK_HELPERS_HPP
diff --git a/src/encoding/block.cpp b/src/encoding/block.cpp
index e17fe9a..5e5f666 100644
--- a/src/encoding/block.cpp
+++ b/src/encoding/block.cpp
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
   uint64_t length = tlv::readVarNumber(begin, end);
 
   if (length == 0) {
-    return dataBlock(type, static_cast<uint8_t*>(nullptr), length);
+    return makeEmptyBlock(type);
   }
 
   if (length > MAX_SIZE_OF_BLOCK_FROM_STREAM)
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@
     throw tlv::Error("Not enough data in the buffer to fully parse TLV");
   }
 
-  return dataBlock(type, buf, length);
+  return makeBinaryBlock(type, buf, length);
 }
 
 std::tuple<bool, Block>