Index: trunk/nv/resource_manager.hh
===================================================================
--- trunk/nv/resource_manager.hh	(revision 7)
+++ trunk/nv/resource_manager.hh	(revision 8)
@@ -15,14 +15,15 @@
 #include <nv/resource.hh>
 #include <nv/singleton.hh>
+#include <string>
 #include <unordered_map>
 
 namespace nv
 {
-    typedef std::shared_ptr<resource> (*resource_constructor_func)();
+	typedef std::shared_ptr<resource> (*resource_constructor_func)();
 
 	template <typename TYPE> 
 	std::shared_ptr<resource> resource_constructor()
 	{
-		return std::shared_ptr<TYPE>();
+		return std::static_pointer_cast<resource>( std::shared_ptr<TYPE>( new TYPE() ) );
 	}
 
Index: trunk/nv/string.hh
===================================================================
--- trunk/nv/string.hh	(revision 8)
+++ trunk/nv/string.hh	(revision 8)
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2012 Kornel Kisielewicz
+// This file is part of NV Libraries.
+// For conditions of distribution and use, see copyright notice in nv.hh
+
+#ifndef NV_STRING_HH
+#define NV_STRING_HH
+
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <nv/common.hh>
+#include <nv/exception.hh>
+
+namespace nv
+{
+	using std::string;
+
+    /**
+     * Utility function for converting any value to string.
+     *
+     * @param value value to be converted, needs to have << operator
+     *        to stream
+     * @throw ore::runtime_error Throws ore::runtime_error on conversion fail
+     * @return value converted to string
+     */
+    template < class T >
+    string to_string( const T& value )
+    {
+      std::stringstream stream;
+      stream << value;
+
+      if ( stream.fail() )
+      {
+        throw runtime_error( "bad cast" );
+      }
+
+      return stream.str();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Override function for special treatment of strings. Returns the
+     * value passed.
+     */
+    inline string to_string( const string& value)
+    {
+        return value;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Utility function for converting a string to the given type
+     *
+     * @param vin the string representing the value
+     * @param vout the value to be read. Must be streamable with >>
+     * @throw ore::runtime_error Throws ore::runtime_error on conversion fail
+     */
+    template < class T >
+    void from_string( const string& vin, T& vout )
+    {
+      std::istringstream value( vin );
+      value >> vout;
+
+      if ( value.fail() )
+      {
+        throw runtime_error( "bad cast" );
+      }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Utility function for converting a string to the given type
+     *
+     * @param vin the string representing the value
+     * @throw ore::runtime_error Throws ore::runtime_error on conversion fail
+     */
+	template < class T >
+	T string_cast( const string& vin )
+	{
+		T vout;
+		std::istringstream value( vin );
+		value >> vout;
+
+		if ( value.fail() )
+		{
+			throw runtime_error( "bad cast" );
+		}
+		return vout;
+	}
+
+
+    /**
+     * Override function for special treatment of strings. Returns the
+     * value passed.
+     */
+    inline void from_string( const string& vin, string& vout )
+	{
+      vout = vin;
+    }
+
+	/**
+     * Override function for special treatment of strings. Returns the
+     * value passed.
+     */
+	template <>
+    inline std::string string_cast( const string& vin )
+	{
+		return vin;
+    }
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Simple function for slurping a file into a string.
+	 */
+	inline std::string slurp( const std::string& filename )
+	{
+		std::ifstream input(filename);
+		if ( !input.is_open() ) throw std::runtime_error("File "+filename+" not found!");
+		std::stringstream sstr;
+		while(input >> sstr.rdbuf());
+		return sstr.str();
+	}
+
+
+}
+
+#endif // NV_STRING_HH