+extern SimObject *resolveSimObject(const string &);
+
+//
+// The base implementations use to_number for parsing and '<<' for
+// displaying, suitable for integer types.
+//
+template <class T>
+bool
+parseParam(const string &s, T &value)
+{
+ return to_number(s, value);
+}
+
+template <class T>
+void
+showParam(ostream &os, const T &value)
+{
+ os << value;
+}
+
+//
+// Template specializations:
+// - char (8-bit integer)
+// - floating-point types
+// - bool
+// - string
+//
+
+// Treat 8-bit ints (chars) as ints on output, not as chars
+template <>
+void
+showParam(ostream &os, const char &value)
+{
+ os << (int)value;
+}
+
+
+template <>
+void
+showParam(ostream &os, const signed char &value)
+{
+ os << (int)value;
+}
+
+
+template <>
+void
+showParam(ostream &os, const unsigned char &value)
+{
+ os << (unsigned int)value;
+}
+
+
+// Use sscanf() for FP types as to_number() only handles integers
+template <>
+bool
+parseParam(const string &s, float &value)
+{
+ return (sscanf(s.c_str(), "%f", &value) == 1);
+}
+
+template <>
+bool
+parseParam(const string &s, double &value)
+{
+ return (sscanf(s.c_str(), "%lf", &value) == 1);
+}
+
+template <>
+bool
+parseParam(const string &s, bool &value)
+{
+ const string &ls = to_lower(s);
+
+ if (ls == "true") {
+ value = true;
+ return true;
+ }
+
+ if (ls == "false") {
+ value = false;
+ return true;
+ }
+
+ return false;
+}
+
+// Display bools as strings
+template <>
+void
+showParam(ostream &os, const bool &value)
+{
+ os << (value ? "true" : "false");
+}
+
+
+// String requires no processing to speak of
+template <>
+bool
+parseParam(const string &s, string &value)
+{
+ value = s;
+ return true;
+}
+