diff --git a/mrw/arg.cpp b/mrw/arg.cpp
index b8c960a..de8447f 100644
--- a/mrw/arg.cpp
+++ b/mrw/arg.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
     @license LGPL, see file <a href="license.html">COPYING</a>
 
     $Log$
+    Revision 1.3  2005/02/08 12:31:36  marc
+    new static methods to simplify access to options
+
     Revision 1.2  2004/11/25 18:26:04  marc
     Constness corrected
 
@@ -65,7 +68,7 @@ namespace mrw {
          <<i<<'<'<<_params.size())).str());
   }
 
-  Args& Args::operator<<(const mrw::Opt& opt) throw(std::invalid_argument) {
+  Args& Args::operator<<(const mrw::Opt& opt) throw(std::exception) {
     // twice the same, but other sort order
     Options::iterator it(_options.insert(_options.end(), opt));
     if (!_shortopts.insert(ShortOpts::value_type(opt._shortname, it)).second)
diff --git a/mrw/arg.hpp b/mrw/arg.hpp
index f6b9b0a..ae2c0b8 100644
--- a/mrw/arg.hpp
+++ b/mrw/arg.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
     @license LGPL, see file <a href="license.html">COPYING</a>
 
     $Log$
+    Revision 1.6  2005/02/08 12:31:36  marc
+    new static methods to simplify access to options
+
     Revision 1.5  2004/11/25 18:26:04  marc
     Constness corrected
 
@@ -106,13 +109,14 @@ namespace mrw {
          ...
         // example usage of simple option
         if (mrw::Args::instance().find('v')) // be verbose here
+        if (mrw::Args::have('v')) // the same, simpler: be verbose here
          ...
         // example usage of option with one parameter
-        ifstream file(mrw::Args::instance().find('o')[0]->toString().c_str());
+        ifstream file(mrw::Args::toString('o').c_str());
          ...
         // example usage of option with two parameter
-        int x = mrw::Args::instance().find('c')[0]->toInt().c_str());
-        int y = mrw::Args::instance().find('c')[1]->toInt().c_str());
+        int x = mrw::Args::instance().find('c')[0]->toInt(); // first integer
+        int y = mrw::Args::toInt('c', 1); // second; alternative, simpler access
          ...
         return 0
       }
@@ -420,10 +424,11 @@ namespace mrw {
     /** @brief find out, whether this option was set by the user
 
         Example: Check whether the user has set the @c -v option for
-        verbose output:
+        verbose output, there are two ways for doing it:
 
         @code
         if (mrw::Args::instance().find('v')) // -v is set
+        if (mrw::Args::have('v')) // -v is set
         @endcode
 
         @return
@@ -494,6 +499,156 @@ namespace mrw {
       return _instance;
     }
 
+    /** @brief check a simple option
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        if (mrw::Args::instance().find('x')) ...
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        if (mrw::Args::have('x')) ...
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter is not available
+               (this would be a coding error)
+    */
+    static bool have(char c) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c);
+    }
+
+    /** @brief get a simple string parameter
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::instance().find('x')[0].toString()
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::toString('x')
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        
+        @throw mrw::bad_cast if the parameter is not a string
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter is empty or not available
+    */
+    static const std::string& toString(char c) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c)[0]->toString();
+    }
+
+    /** @brief get a simple integer parameter
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::instance().find('x')[0].toInt()
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::toInt('x')
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        
+        @throw mrw::bad_cast if the parameter is not an int
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter is empty or not available
+    */
+    static int toInt(char c) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c)[0]->toInt();
+    }
+
+    /** @brief get a simple boolean parameter
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::instance().find('x')[0].toBool()
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::toBool('x')
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        
+        @throw mrw::bad_cast if the parameter is not an bool
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter is empty or not available
+    */
+    static bool toBool(char c) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c)[0]->toBool();
+    }
+
+    /** @brief get the n-th string parameter
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::instance().find('x')[n].toString()
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::toString('x', n)
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        @param n the number of the parameter (starting at 0)
+        
+        @throw mrw::bad_cast if the parameter is not a string
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter is not available
+    */
+      static const std::string& toString(char c, int n) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c)[n]->toString();
+    }
+
+    /** @brief get the n-th integer parameter
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::instance().find('x')[n].toInt()
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::toInt('x', n)
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        @param n the number of the parameter (starting at 0)
+        
+        @throw mrw::bad_cast if the parameter is not an int
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter is not available
+    */
+      static int toInt(char c, int n) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c)[n]->toInt();
+    }
+
+    /** @brief get the n-th boolean parameter
+
+        This is a shortcut. Instead of the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::instance().find('x')[n].toBool()
+        @endcode
+        you can simply write the expression:
+        @code
+        mrw::Args::toBool('x', n)
+        @endcode
+        It is exactly the same.
+
+        @param c the short name of the parameter
+        @param n the number of the parameter (starting at 0)
+        
+        @throw mrw::bad_cast if the parameter is not an bool
+        @throw mrw::out_of_range if the parameter not available
+    */
+      static bool toBool(char c, int n) throw(std::exception) {
+      return mrw::Args::instance().find(c)[n]->toBool();
+    }
+
     /** @brief setup an acceptable option
 
         Setup an acceptable user option.
@@ -504,8 +659,10 @@ namespace mrw {
           mrw::Args::instance()
             <<mrw::Opt('v', "--verbose", "print more information");
         @endcode
+
+        @throw mrw::invalid_argument if opt is not setup correctly
     */
-    Args& operator<<(const mrw::Opt& opt) throw(std::invalid_argument);
+    Args& operator<<(const mrw::Opt& opt) throw(std::exception);
 
     /** @brief setup the number of arguments