diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/primitive_types.i b/Examples/test-suite/primitive_types.i
index c35346aab..492fed210 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/primitive_types.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/primitive_types.i
@@ -81,10 +81,17 @@
     char name[5];
     int val;
 
-    MyInt(int v = 0): val(v) { }
+    MyInt(int v = 0): val(v) {
+      name[0]='n';
+    }
     
     operator int() const { return val; }
   };
+
+  typedef char namet[5];
+  extern namet gbl_namet;
+  namet gbl_namet;
+
 %}
 //
 // adding applies for incomplete swig type MyInt
@@ -101,6 +108,7 @@
 
 %apply long { pint };
   
+
 //
 // Some simple types
 %inline %{
@@ -114,8 +122,10 @@
 
   char* const def_pchar = "hello";
 
-  const namet def_namet = "hola";//{'h','o','l','a',0};
+  const namet def_namet = {'h','o',0, 'l','a'};
 
+  extern namet gbl_namet;
+  
 %}
 
 
@@ -305,15 +315,20 @@ macro(MyInt,              pfx, myint)
 
    %test_prim_types_int(ovr_decl, ovr);
 
-   const char* stringl(const char *str, size_t len)
+   int strlen(const char *str, size_t len)
    {
-     return str;
+     return len;
    }
 
-   int main(size_t argc, const char **argv) 
+   int mainc(size_t argc, const char **argv) 
    {
      return argc;
    }
+
+   const char* mainv(size_t argc, const char **argv, int idx) 
+   {
+     return argv[idx];
+   }
    
    
  };
@@ -327,6 +342,7 @@ macro(MyInt,              pfx, myint)
    
    virtual ~TestDirector()
    {
+     var_namet[0]='h';
    }
 
    %test_prim_types_int(stc_decl, stc);
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/python/primitive_types_runme.py b/Examples/test-suite/python/primitive_types_runme.py
index 0976525a3..60c378638 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/python/primitive_types_runme.py
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/python/primitive_types_runme.py
@@ -31,26 +31,26 @@ def pyerror(name, val, cte):
   raise RuntimeError
   pass
 
-if cvar.var_bool != cct_bool: pyerror("bool", var_bool, cct_bool)
-if cvar.var_schar != cct_schar: pyerror("schar", var_schar, cct_schar)
-if cvar.var_uchar != cct_uchar: pyerror("uchar", var_uchar, cct_uchar)
-if cvar.var_int != cct_int: pyerror("int", var_int, cct_int)
-if cvar.var_uint != cct_uint: pyerror("uint", var_uint, cct_uint)
-if cvar.var_short != cct_short: pyerror("short", var_short, cct_short)
-if cvar.var_ushort != cct_ushort: pyerror("ushort", var_ushort, cct_ushort)
-if cvar.var_long != cct_long: pyerror("long", var_long, cct_long)
-if cvar.var_ulong != cct_ulong: pyerror("ulong", var_ulong, cct_ulong)
-if cvar.var_llong != cct_llong: pyerror("llong", var_llong, cct_llong)
-if cvar.var_ullong != cct_ullong: pyerror("ullong", var_ullong, cct_ullong)
-if cvar.var_float != cct_float: pyerror("float", var_float, cct_float)
-if cvar.var_double != cct_double: pyerror("double", var_double, cct_double)
-if cvar.var_char != cct_char: pyerror("char", var_char, cct_char)
-if cvar.var_pchar != cct_pchar: pyerror("pchar", var_pchar, cct_pchar)
-if cvar.var_pint != cct_pint: pyerror("pint", var_pint, cct_pint)
-if cvar.var_sizet != cct_sizet: pyerror("sizet", var_sizet, cct_sizet)
-if cvar.var_hello != cct_hello: pyerror("hello", var_hello, cct_hello)
-if cvar.var_myint != cct_myint: pyerror("myint", var_myint, cct_myint)
-if cvar.var_namet != def_namet: pyerror("name", var_namet, def_namet)
+if cvar.var_bool != cct_bool: pyerror("bool", cvar.var_bool, cct_bool)
+if cvar.var_schar != cct_schar: pyerror("schar", cvar.var_schar, cct_schar)
+if cvar.var_uchar != cct_uchar: pyerror("uchar", cvar.var_uchar, cct_uchar)
+if cvar.var_int != cct_int: pyerror("int", cvar.var_int, cct_int)
+if cvar.var_uint != cct_uint: pyerror("uint", cvar.var_uint, cct_uint)
+if cvar.var_short != cct_short: pyerror("short", cvar.var_short, cct_short)
+if cvar.var_ushort != cct_ushort: pyerror("ushort", cvar.var_ushort, cct_ushort)
+if cvar.var_long != cct_long: pyerror("long", cvar.var_long, cct_long)
+if cvar.var_ulong != cct_ulong: pyerror("ulong", cvar.var_ulong, cct_ulong)
+if cvar.var_llong != cct_llong: pyerror("llong", cvar.var_llong, cct_llong)
+if cvar.var_ullong != cct_ullong: pyerror("ullong", cvar.var_ullong, cct_ullong)
+if cvar.var_float != cct_float: pyerror("float", cvar.var_float, cct_float)
+if cvar.var_double != cct_double: pyerror("double", cvar.var_double, cct_double)
+if cvar.var_char != cct_char: pyerror("char", cvar.var_char, cct_char)
+if cvar.var_pchar != cct_pchar: pyerror("pchar", cvar.var_pchar, cct_pchar)
+if cvar.var_pint != cct_pint: pyerror("pint", cvar.var_pint, cct_pint)
+if cvar.var_sizet != cct_sizet: pyerror("sizet", cvar.var_sizet, cct_sizet)
+if cvar.var_hello != cct_hello: pyerror("hello", cvar.var_hello, cct_hello)
+if cvar.var_myint != cct_myint: pyerror("myint", cvar.var_myint, cct_myint)
+if cvar.var_namet != def_namet: pyerror("name", cvar.var_namet, def_namet)
 
 class PyTest (TestDirector):
   def __init__(self):
@@ -157,10 +157,36 @@ t.var_namet = def_namet
 
 t.v_check()
 
-if def_namet != 'hola':
-  raise RuntimeError, "bad namet"
+# this value contains a '0' char!
+if def_namet != 'ho\0la':
+  print "bad namet", def_namet
+  raise RuntimeError
+
+t.var_namet = def_namet
+if t.var_namet != def_namet:
+  print "bad namet", t.var_namet
+  raise RuntimeError
 
 t.var_namet = 'holac'
 
 if t.var_namet != 'holac':
-  raise RuntimeError, "bad namet"
+  print "bad namet", t.var_namet
+  raise RuntimeError
+
+t.var_namet = 'hol'
+
+if t.var_namet != 'hol':
+  print "bad namet", t.var_namet
+  raise RuntimeError
+
+largs=['hi','hola','hello']
+if t.mainc(largs) != 3:
+  raise RuntimeError, "bad main typemap"
+
+targs=('hi','hola')
+if t.mainv(targs,1) != 'hola':
+  raise RuntimeError, "bad main typemap"
+
+
+if t.strlen('hile') != 4:
+  raise RuntimeError, "bad string typemap"
diff --git a/Lib/python/pyrun.swg b/Lib/python/pyrun.swg
index ddc9cbd01..7896a4bbd 100644
--- a/Lib/python/pyrun.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/pyrun.swg
@@ -170,22 +170,37 @@ SPyObj_FromCharPtr(const char* cptr) {
   return cptr ? PyString_FromString(cptr) : Py_BuildValue((char*)"");
 }
 
+/*
+  these two routines allows char[ANY] with '0' chars inside, ie:
+   
+     const char def_namet[5] = {'h','o',0, 'l','a'};
+   
+  is not truncated to "ho". 
+ */
+
 SWIG_STATIC_INLINE PyObject *
-SPyObj_FromCharArray(const char* carray, size_t size) { 
-  return PyString_FromStringAndSize(carray, strnlen(carray, size));
+SPyObj_FromCharArray(const char* carray, int len) {
+  /* checking the effective size backward */
+  for (; len && (carray[len - 1] == 0); --len);
+  
+  return PyString_FromStringAndSize(carray, len);
 }
 
-
 SWIG_STATIC_INLINE void
-SPyObj_AsCharArray(PyObject *obj, char* carray, size_t size) { 
-  const char* s = PyString_Check(obj) ? PyString_AsString(obj) : 0;
+SPyObj_AsCharArray(PyObject *obj, char* carray, int size) { 
+  int len = size;
+  char* buf;
+  PyString_AsStringAndSize(obj, &buf, &len);
   if (!PyErr_Occurred()) {
-    size_t len = strlen(s);
     if (len > size) {
       PyErr_SetObject(PyExc_TypeError, 
-		      PyString_FromFormat("a string of maximum size %d is required", size));
+         PyString_FromFormat("a string of maximum size %d is required", size));
+    } else {
+      memcpy(carray, buf, len);
+      /* pad the string with zero chars if needed */
+      if (len < size) 
+	memset(carray + len, 0, size - len);
     }
-    strncpy(carray, s, size);
   }
 }
  
diff --git a/Lib/python/python.swg b/Lib/python/python.swg
index 4e3963eec..231f40117 100644
--- a/Lib/python/python.swg
+++ b/Lib/python/python.swg
@@ -21,6 +21,21 @@
 #define %shadow      %insert("shadow")
 #define %pythoncode  %insert("python")
 
+
+/* auxiliar macros for char array alloc/dealloc */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+%define %swig_new_carray(size) new char[(size)]
+%enddef
+%define %swig_del_carray(cptr) delete [] cptr;
+%enddef
+#else
+%define %swig_new_carray(size) malloc((size))
+%enddef
+%define %swig_del_carray(cptr) free((char*)cptr);
+%enddef
+#endif
+
+
 /* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  *                          standard typemaps
  * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -62,6 +77,23 @@
 %enddef
 
 
+/* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * --- memberin and globalin typemaps --- 
+ * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+/* Character array handling */
+
+%typemap(memberin) char [ANY] {
+  if ($input) memcpy($1,$input,$1_dim0);
+  else memset($1,0,$1_dim0);
+}
+
+%typemap(globalin) char [ANY] {
+  if ($input) memcpy($1,$input,$1_dim0);
+  else memset($1,0,$1_dim0);
+}
+
+
 /* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * --- Input arguments --- 
  * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -190,17 +222,15 @@
 
 %expand_primitives_as(PY_VARIN_TYPEMAP);
 
-/* A string */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-
+/* A strings */
 %typemap(varin) char * {
   char *temp = (char *) PyString_AsString($input);
   if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
     PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "C variable '$name ($1_ltype)'");
     return 1;
   }
-  if ($1) delete [] $1;
-  $1 = ($type) new char[strlen(temp)+1];
+  if ($1) %swig_del_carray($1);
+  $1 = ($type) %swig_new_carray(strlen(temp)+1);
   strcpy((char*)$1,temp);
 }
 
@@ -210,34 +240,21 @@
     PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "C variable '$name ($1_ltype)'");
     return 1;
   }
-  $1 = ($type) new char[strlen(temp)+1];
+  $1 = ($type) %swig_new_carray(strlen(temp)+1);
   strcpy((char*)$1,temp);
 }
 
-#else
 
-%typemap(varin) char * {
-  char *temp = (char *) PyString_AsString($input);
+/* here we need no temp, the variable provide the memory */
+%typemap(varin) char [ANY] {
+  SPyObj_AsCharArray($input, $1, $1_dim0);
   if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
     PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "C variable '$name ($1_ltype)'");
     return 1;
   }
-  if ($1) free((char*) $1);
-  $1 = ($type) malloc(strlen(temp)+1);
-  strcpy((char*)$1,temp);
 }
 
-%typemap(varin,warning="451:Setting const char * variable may leak memory") const char * {
-  char *temp = (char *) PyString_AsString($input);
-  if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "C variable '$name ($1_ltype)'");
-    return 1;
-  }
-  $1 = ($type) malloc(strlen(temp)+1);
-  strcpy((char*)$1,temp);
-}
-
-#endif
+/* Pointers, references, and arrays */
 
 %typemap(varin) SWIGTYPE [ANY] {
   void *temp;
@@ -251,23 +268,6 @@
   for (ii = 0; ii < $1_size; ii++) b[ii] = *(($1_basetype *) temp + ii);
 }
 
-/* Special case for string array variables */
-%typemap(varin) char* {
-  $1 = PyString_AsString($input);
-  if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "C variable '$name ($1_ltype)'");
-    return 1;
-  }
-}
-
-%typemap(varin) char [ANY] {
-  SPyObj_AsCharArray($input, $1, $1_dim0);
-  if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "C variable '$name ($1_ltype)'");
-    return 1;
-  }
-}
-
 %typemap(varin) SWIGTYPE * {
   void *temp;
   if ((SWIG_ConvertPtr($input,(void **) &temp, $1_descriptor, SWIG_POINTER_EXCEPTION | SWIG_POINTER_DISOWN)) == -1) {
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@
     { SWIG_PY_STRING,  (char*)"$symname", 0, 0, (void *)$value, 0}
 
 %typemap(consttab) char [ANY], const char [ANY]
-    { SWIG_PY_STRING,  (char*)"$symname", 0, 0, (void *)$value, 0}
+  "PyDict_SetItemString(d,\"$symname\", SPyObj_FromCharArray($value, $value_dim0));";
 
 %typemap(consttab) SWIGTYPE *, SWIGTYPE &, SWIGTYPE []
     { SWIG_PY_POINTER, (char*)"$symname", 0, 0, (void *)$value, &$1_descriptor}
@@ -426,11 +426,12 @@
   }
 }
 
-%typemap(directorout) char [ANY] { 
-  SPyObj_AsCharArray($input, $result, $result_dim0);
+%typemap(directorout) char [ANY] (char temp[$result_dim0]) { 
+  SPyObj_AsCharArray($input, temp, $result_dim0);
   if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
-    Swig::DirectorTypeMismatchException("Error converting Python object into char[ANY]");
+    Swig::DirectorTypeMismatchException("Error converting Python object into char[$result_dim0]");
   }
+  $result = temp;
 }
 
 /* Object returned by value. Convert from a pointer */
@@ -623,40 +624,35 @@ PY_TYPECHECK_TYPEMAP(CHAR,    char,               SPyObj_AsChar);
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------
  * --- Argc & Argv ---
  * ------------------------------------------------------------ */
-
+/* This typemap works with either a list or a tuple */
 %typemap(in) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) {
   /* Check if is a list */
-  if (PyList_Check($input)) {
+  int list = PyList_Check($input);
+  if (list || PyTuple_Check($input)) {
     int i = 0;
-    int size = PyList_Size($input);
+    int size = list ? PyList_Size($input) : PyTuple_Size($input);
     $1 = ($1_ltype) size;
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-    $2 = ($2_ltype) new char*[(size + 1)];
-#else
-    $2 = ($2_ltype) malloc((size + 1)*sizeof(char *));
-#endif
+    $2 = ($2_ltype) %swig_new_carray((size + 1)*sizeof(char*));
     for (; i < size; ++i) {
-      PyObject *o = PyList_GetItem($input,i);
-      if (PyString_Check(o))
-	$2[i] = PyString_AsString(PyList_GetItem($input,i));
-      else {
-	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,"list must contain strings");
+      PyObject *obj = list ? 
+	PyList_GetItem($input,i) : PyTuple_GetItem($input,i);
+      $2[i] = PyString_AsString(obj);
+      if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
+	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,"list must contain strings only");
 	SWIG_fail;
       }
     }
     $2[i] = 0;
   } else {
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,"argument is not a python list");
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,"argument is not a python list or tuple");
     SWIG_fail;
   }
 }
 
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-%typemap(freearg) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) "if ($2) delete[] $2;";
-#else
-%typemap(freearg) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) "if ($2) free((char *) $2);";
-#endif
-  
+%typemap(freearg) (int ARGC, char **ARGV) {
+  if ($2) %swig_del_carray($2);
+}
+
 
 /*****************************************************************************
  *