diff --git a/src/inspect.hh b/src/inspect.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6daff55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/inspect.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#ifndef LIBPEPCXX11_INSPECT_HH
+#define LIBPEPCXX11_INSPECT_HH
+
+namespace pEp {
+    namespace CXX {
+        struct Inspect {
+            // type ----------------------------------------
+            // returns the type of c
+            template<class T>
+            static std::string type(T&);
+
+            // addr ----------------------------------------
+            // returns the address of c
+            template<class T>
+            static std::string addr(T& c);
+
+            // val ----------------------------------------
+            // returns the value of c (if T is pointer type, the address p is pointing to)
+            template<class T>
+            static std::string val(T c, size_t val_len = 30);
+
+            // all ----------------------------------------
+            template<class T>
+            static std::string all(T& c, size_t val_len = 30);
+        };
+    } // namespace CXX
+} // namespace pEp
+
+#include "inspect.hxx"
+#endif
diff --git a/src/inspect.hxx b/src/inspect.hxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e4bd88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/inspect.hxx
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#ifndef LIBPEPCXX11_INSPECT_HXX
+#define LIBPEPCXX11_INSPECT_HXX
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <cctype>
+#include <pEp/utils.hh>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <type_traits>
+
+namespace pEp {
+    namespace CXX {
+        // type ----------------------------------------
+        // same for pointer and value typee
+        template<class T>
+        std::string Inspect::type(T&)
+        {
+            std::stringstream ss_type;
+            ss_type << typeid(T).name();
+            return ss_type.str();
+        }
+
+
+        // addr ----------------------------------------
+        //
+        template<class T>
+        std::string Inspect::addr(T& c)
+        {
+            std::stringstream ss_addr{};
+            ss_addr << &c;
+            return ss_addr.str();
+        }
+
+        // val ----------------------------------------
+        template<class T>
+        struct val_str_helper {
+            static std::string str(T c, size_t val_len)
+            {
+                std::stringstream ss_val{};
+                ss_val << c;
+                return pEp::Utils::clip(ss_val.str(), val_len);
+            }
+        };
+
+        template<class T>
+        struct val_str_helper<T*> {
+            static std::string str(T* c, size_t val_len)
+            {
+                std::stringstream ss_val{};
+                if (c != nullptr) {
+                    ss_val << c;
+                } else {
+                    ss_val << "<NULL>";
+                }
+                return pEp::Utils::clip(ss_val.str(), val_len);
+            }
+        };
+
+        template<class T>
+        std::string Inspect::val(T c, size_t val_len)
+        {
+            return val_str_helper<T>::str(c, val_len);
+        }
+
+        // all ----------------------------------------
+        template<class T>
+        std::string Inspect::all(T& c, size_t val_len)
+        {
+            std::stringstream ret{};
+            ret << "{ " << type(c) << " | " << addr(c) << " | " << val(c, val_len) << " }";
+            return ret.str();
+        }
+    } // namespace CXX
+} // namespace pEp
+
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file