diff --git a/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.cc b/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.cc
index f546ddb4..250285e5 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.cc
+++ b/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.cc
@@ -1,36 +1,43 @@
 #include <Grid.h>
 
+using namespace Grid;
+using namespace std;
 
-namespace Grid {
 // Writer implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-BinaryWriter::BinaryWriter(const std::string &fileName)
-: file_(fileName, std::ios::binary|std::ios::out)
+BinaryWriter::BinaryWriter(const string &fileName)
+: file_(fileName, ios::binary|ios::out)
 {}
 
 template <>
-void BinaryWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::string &output)
+void BinaryWriter::writeDefault(const string &s, const string &x)
 {
-  uint64_t sz = output.size();
+    uint64_t sz = x.size();
+    
+    write("", sz);
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
+    {
+        write("", x[i]);
+    }
+}
+
+void BinaryWriter::writeDefault(const string &s, const char *x)
+{
+  string sx(x);
   
-  write("", sz);
-  for (uint64_t i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
-  {
-    write("", output[i]);
-  }
+  writeDefault(s, sx);
 }
 
 // Reader implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-BinaryReader::BinaryReader(const std::string &fileName)
-: file_(fileName, std::ios::binary|std::ios::in)
+BinaryReader::BinaryReader(const string &fileName)
+: file_(fileName, ios::binary|ios::in)
 {}
 
 template <>
-void BinaryReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &output)
+void BinaryReader::readDefault(const string &s, string &output)
 {
-  uint64_t sz;
+    uint64_t sz;
   
-  read("", sz);
-  output.reserve(sz);
-  file_.read((char *)output.data(), sz);
-}
+    read("", sz);
+    output.resize(sz);
+    file_.read((char *)output.data(), sz);
 }
diff --git a/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.h b/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.h
index 004ab9a8..f0cfb941 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.h
+++ b/lib/serialisation/BinaryIO.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ namespace Grid {
     void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const U &x);
     template <typename U>
     void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &x);
+    void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const char *x);
   private:
     std::ofstream file_;
   };
@@ -48,6 +49,9 @@ namespace Grid {
     file_.write((char *)&x, sizeof(U));
   }
   
+  template <>
+  void BinaryWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::string &x);
+  
   template <typename U>
   void BinaryWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &x)
   {
@@ -67,6 +71,9 @@ namespace Grid {
     file_.read((char *)&output, sizeof(U));
   }
   
+  template <>
+  void BinaryReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &output);
+  
   template <typename U>
   void BinaryReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::vector<U> &output)
   {
diff --git a/lib/serialisation/TextIO.cc b/lib/serialisation/TextIO.cc
index 8b9c4f01..a1caa8db 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/TextIO.cc
+++ b/lib/serialisation/TextIO.cc
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 #include <Grid.h>
 
-namespace Grid {
+using namespace Grid;
+using namespace std;
+
 // Writer implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-TextWriter::TextWriter(const std::string &fileName)
-: file_(fileName, std::ios::out)
+TextWriter::TextWriter(const string &fileName)
+: file_(fileName, ios::out)
 {}
 
-void TextWriter::push(const std::string &s)
+void TextWriter::push(const string &s)
 {
   level_++;
 };
@@ -25,11 +27,11 @@ void TextWriter::indent(void)
 };
 
 // Reader implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-TextReader::TextReader(const std::string &fileName)
-: file_(fileName, std::ios::in)
+TextReader::TextReader(const string &fileName)
+: file_(fileName, ios::in)
 {}
 
-void TextReader::push(const std::string &s)
+void TextReader::push(const string &s)
 {
   level_++;
 };
@@ -48,9 +50,9 @@ void TextReader::checkIndent(void)
     file_.get(c);
     if (c != '\t')
     {
-      std::cerr << "mismatch on tab " << c << " level " << level_;
-      std::cerr << " i "<< i <<std::endl;
-      std::abort();
+      cerr << "mismatch on tab " << c << " level " << level_;
+      cerr << " i "<< i << endl;
+      abort();
     }
   }
 }
@@ -58,8 +60,7 @@ void TextReader::checkIndent(void)
 template <>
 void TextReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &output)
 {
-  checkIndent();
-  output.clear();
-  getline(file_, output);
-}
+    checkIndent();
+    output.clear();
+    getline(file_, output);
 }
diff --git a/lib/serialisation/TextIO.h b/lib/serialisation/TextIO.h
index 9b69b188..a60931d1 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/TextIO.h
+++ b/lib/serialisation/TextIO.h
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ namespace Grid
     void push(const std::string &s);
     void pop(void);
     template <typename U>
-    void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const U &output);
+    void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const U &x);
     template <typename U>
-    void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &output);
+    void writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &x);
   private:
     void indent(void);
   private:
@@ -50,21 +50,21 @@ namespace Grid
   
   // Writer template implementation ////////////////////////////////////////////
   template <typename U>
-  void TextWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const U &output)
+  void TextWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const U &x)
   {
     indent();
-    file_ << std::boolalpha << output << std::endl;
+    file_ << std::boolalpha << x << std::endl;
   }
   
   template <typename U>
-  void TextWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &output)
+  void TextWriter::writeDefault(const std::string &s, const std::vector<U> &x)
   {
-    uint64_t sz = output.size();
+    uint64_t sz = x.size();
     
     write(s, sz);
     for (uint64_t i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
     {
-      write(s, output[i]);
+      write(s, x[i]);
     }
   }
   
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ namespace Grid
     fromString(output, buf);
   }
   
+  template <>
+  void TextReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &output);
+  
   template <typename U>
   void TextReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::vector<U> &output)
   {
diff --git a/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.cc b/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.cc
index b5c6e5bd..8dd93de7 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.cc
+++ b/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.cc
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #include <Grid.h>
 
-namespace Grid {
+using namespace Grid;
+using namespace std;
+
 // Writer implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-XmlWriter::XmlWriter(const std::string &fileName)
+XmlWriter::XmlWriter(const string &fileName)
 : fileName_(fileName)
 {
   node_ = doc_.append_child();
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ XmlWriter::~XmlWriter(void)
   doc_.save_file(fileName_.c_str(), "  ");
 }
 
-void XmlWriter::push(const std::string &s)
+void XmlWriter::push(const string &s)
 {
   node_ = node_.append_child(s.c_str());
 }
@@ -25,22 +27,22 @@ void XmlWriter::pop(void)
 }
 
 // Reader implementation ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-XmlReader::XmlReader(const std::string &fileName)
+XmlReader::XmlReader(const string &fileName)
 : fileName_(fileName)
 {
   pugi::xml_parse_result result = doc_.load_file(fileName_.c_str());
   
   if ( !result )
   {
-    std::cerr << "XML error description: " << result.description() << "\n";
-    std::cerr << "XML error offset     : " << result.offset        << "\n";
-    std::abort();
+    cerr << "XML error description: " << result.description() << "\n";
+    cerr << "XML error offset     : " << result.offset        << "\n";
+    abort();
   }
   
   node_ = doc_.child("grid");
 }
 
-void XmlReader::push(const std::string &s)
+void XmlReader::push(const string &s)
 {
   node_ = node_.child(s.c_str());
 }
@@ -51,8 +53,7 @@ void XmlReader::pop(void)
 }
 
 template <>
-void XmlReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &output)
+void XmlReader::readDefault(const string &s, string &output)
 {
   output = node_.child(s.c_str()).first_child().value();
 }
-}
diff --git a/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.h b/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.h
index ca34ee59..15bb0206 100644
--- a/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.h
+++ b/lib/serialisation/XmlIO.h
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ namespace Grid
     fromString(output, buf);
   }
   
+  template <>
+  void XmlReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::string &output);
+  
   template <typename U>
   void XmlReader::readDefault(const std::string &s, std::vector<U> &output)
   {