diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 92890c0..45cfa82 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ using namespace metacall;
 // Local functions
 //
 
-static void serverTest1(const char str[], int num) {
-    printf("Server function params are \"%s\" and \"%d\"\n", str, num);
+static void serverTest1(const std::string & str, int num) {
+    printf("Server function params are \"%s\" and \"%d\"\n", str.c_str(), num);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/mc_binding.cpp b/mc_binding.cpp
index a7b3e58..13103f5 100644
--- a/mc_binding.cpp
+++ b/mc_binding.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_binding.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_buffer.cpp b/mc_buffer.cpp
index b3dcaad..4fe7014 100644
--- a/mc_buffer.cpp
+++ b/mc_buffer.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_buffer.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_client.cpp b/mc_client.cpp
index 088e397..8f3990f 100644
--- a/mc_client.cpp
+++ b/mc_client.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_client.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_prefab-inl.hpp b/mc_prefab-inl.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46b8839
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mc_prefab-inl.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2011 Alex Yatskov
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
+// obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
+// files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without
+// restriction, including without limitation the rights to use,
+// copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+// Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following
+// conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
+// included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+// EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES
+// OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
+// NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT
+// HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
+// WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+// FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
+// OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+//
+
+namespace metacall {
+
+
+//
+// std::basic_string
+//
+
+template <typename T, typename C, typename A>
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const std::basic_string<T, C, A>& value) {
+    const T * const str = value.empty() ? NULL : value.c_str();
+    return serialize(serializer, str);
+}
+
+template <typename T, typename C, typename A>
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, std::basic_string<T, C, A>* value) {
+    value->clear();
+
+    const T * str = NULL;
+    if (!deserialize(deserializer, &str)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (str != NULL) {
+        *value = str;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+
+//
+// std::vector
+//
+
+template <typename T, typename A>
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const std::vector<T, A>& value) {
+    serializer->write(value.size());
+    for (const typename std::vector<T, A>::const_iterator iter = value.begin(); iter != value.end(); ++iter) {
+        serializer->write(*iter);
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+template <typename T, typename A>
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, std::vector<T, A>* value) {
+    value->clear();
+
+    int length = 0;
+    if (!deserializer->read(&length)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    value->reserve(length);
+    for (int i = 0; i < length; ++i) {
+        if (!deserializer->read(value->at(i))) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+
+}
diff --git a/mc_prefab.cpp b/mc_prefab.cpp
index 8e0b033..d0db252 100644
--- a/mc_prefab.cpp
+++ b/mc_prefab.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_prefab.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
@@ -33,51 +32,58 @@ namespace metacall {
 // Local functions
 //
 
-template <typename T>
-static int genStrLen(const T str[]) {
-    int length = 0;
-    while (str[length] != 0) {
-        ++length;
-    }
+static int strLen(const char str[]) {
+    return strlen(str);
+}
 
-    return length;
+static int strLen(const wchar_t str[]) {
+    return wcslen(str);
 }
 
 template <typename T>
-static bool serializeStr(Serializer* serializer, const T str[]) {
-    serializer->writeRaw(str, sizeof(T) * (genStrLen(str) + 1));
+static bool serializeStr(Serializer* serializer, const T value[]) {
+    const int length = value == NULL ? 0 : strLen(value) + 1;
+    serializer->write(length);
+    serializer->writeRaw(value, length * sizeof(T));
     return true;
 }
 
 template <typename T>
-static bool deserializeStr(Deserializer* deserializer, const T ** str) {
-    *str = reinterpret_cast<const T*>(deserializer->readRaw(1));
-    if (*str == NULL) {
+static bool deserializeStr(Deserializer* deserializer, const T ** value) {
+    *value = NULL;
+
+    int length = 0;
+    if (!deserializer->read(&length)) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    return deserializer->readRaw(genStrLen(*str)) != NULL;
+    if (length == 0) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    *value = reinterpret_cast<const T*>(deserializer->readRaw(length * sizeof(T)));
+    return *value != NULL;
 }
 
 
 //
-// Shared functions
+// C strings
 //
 
-bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const char str[]) {
-    return serializeStr(serializer, str);
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const char value[]) {
+    return serializeStr(serializer, value);
 }
 
-bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const char ** str) {
-    return deserializeStr(deserializer, str);
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const char ** value) {
+    return deserializeStr(deserializer, value);
 }
 
-bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const wchar_t str[]) {
-    return serializeStr(serializer, str);
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const wchar_t value[]) {
+    return serializeStr(serializer, value);
 }
 
-bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const wchar_t ** str) {
-    return deserializeStr(deserializer, str);
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const wchar_t ** value) {
+    return deserializeStr(deserializer, value);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/mc_prefab.hpp b/mc_prefab.hpp
index 8aeb5da..b2c1f98 100644
--- a/mc_prefab.hpp
+++ b/mc_prefab.hpp
@@ -28,10 +28,39 @@
 namespace metacall {
 
 
-bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const char str[]);
-bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const char ** str);
-bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const wchar_t str[]);
-bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const wchar_t ** str);
+//
+// C strings
+//
+
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const char value[]);
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const char ** value);
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const wchar_t value[]);
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, const wchar_t ** value);
+
+
+//
+// std::basic_string
+//
+
+template <typename T, typename C, typename A>
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const std::basic_string<T, C, A>& value);
+template <typename T, typename C, typename A>
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, std::basic_string<T, C, A>* value);
+
+
+//
+// std::vector
+//
+
+template <typename T, typename A>
+bool serialize(Serializer* serializer, const std::vector<T, A>& value);
+template <typename T, typename A>
+bool deserialize(Deserializer* deserializer, std::vector<T, A>* value);
+
+
+//
+// std::map
+//
 
 
 }
diff --git a/mc_protocol.cpp b/mc_protocol.cpp
index e3faca3..c1291d6 100644
--- a/mc_protocol.cpp
+++ b/mc_protocol.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_protocol.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_serial.cpp b/mc_serial.cpp
index 521b162..9c2a243 100644
--- a/mc_serial.cpp
+++ b/mc_serial.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_serial.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_server.cpp b/mc_server.cpp
index 3d4e74d..1f36540 100644
--- a/mc_server.cpp
+++ b/mc_server.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_server.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_socket.cpp b/mc_socket.cpp
index f976f2b..33215cd 100644
--- a/mc_socket.cpp
+++ b/mc_socket.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_socket.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_stream.cpp b/mc_stream.cpp
index e6938e1..16f30d8 100644
--- a/mc_stream.cpp
+++ b/mc_stream.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_stream.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/mc_token.cpp b/mc_token.cpp
index 4b362f6..2f31e23 100644
--- a/mc_token.cpp
+++ b/mc_token.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "metacall.hpp"
-#include "mc_token.hpp"
 
 namespace metacall {
 
diff --git a/metacall.hpp b/metacall.hpp
index 39c5fca..d1dcb4e 100644
--- a/metacall.hpp
+++ b/metacall.hpp
@@ -63,3 +63,4 @@
 #include "mc_client.hpp"
 #include "mc_server.hpp"
 #include "mc_prefab.hpp"
+#include "mc_prefab-inl.hpp"
diff --git a/metacall.pro b/metacall.pro
index 11ae209..dfa8268 100644
--- a/metacall.pro
+++ b/metacall.pro
@@ -37,5 +37,6 @@ HEADERS += \
     mc_buffer.hpp \
     mc_binding.hpp \
     mc_binding-inl.hpp \
-    mc_prefab.hpp
+    mc_prefab.hpp \
+    mc_prefab-inl.hpp