diff --git a/include/dynamic-graph/value.h b/include/dynamic-graph/value.h
index f97474d70383c44169ef4f0c235f94f8ca1f9df4..27d0764f65bedc4222f2956ea184d5712e9799ed 100644
--- a/include/dynamic-graph/value.h
+++ b/include/dynamic-graph/value.h
@@ -106,7 +106,15 @@ namespace dynamicgraph {
       Type type_;
       const void* const value_;
     };
-} // namespace command
+
+    /* ---- HELPER ---------------------------------------------------------- */
+    template< typename T >
+      struct ValueHelper
+      {
+	static const Value::Type TypeID;
+      };
+
+  } // namespace command
 } //namespace dynamicgraph
 
 #endif //DYNAMIC_GRAPH_VALUE_H
diff --git a/src/command/value.cpp b/src/command/value.cpp
index bb137734afbcb4c8fc158ad7892d018e91f9fefc..76a3816982ab4547c2fa4255781506e566bf70dc 100644
--- a/src/command/value.cpp
+++ b/src/command/value.cpp
@@ -322,5 +322,15 @@ namespace dynamicgraph {
       return os;
     }
 
+    /* ---- HELPER ---------------------------------------------------------- */
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<bool>::TypeID = Value::BOOL;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<unsigned>::TypeID = Value::UNSIGNED;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<int>::TypeID = Value::INT;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<float>::TypeID = Value::FLOAT;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<double>::TypeID = Value::DOUBLE;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<std::string>::TypeID = Value::STRING;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<Vector>::TypeID = Value::VECTOR;
+    template<> const Value::Type ValueHelper<Matrix>::TypeID = Value::MATRIX;
+
   } // namespace command
 } //namespace dynamicgraph