diff --git a/research/try.cpp b/research/try.cpp
index b6a9a7da6..b8540359e 100644
--- a/research/try.cpp
+++ b/research/try.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ typedef unsigned int uint;
 
 #include "lib/meta/util.hpp"
 #include "lib/meta/trait.hpp"
+#include "lib/format-cout.hpp"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <type_traits>
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ using lib::meta::typeStr;
 using lib::meta::is_basically;
 using lib::meta::can_lexical2string;
 using lib::meta::can_convertToString;
+using lib::meta::use_StringConversion4Stream;
 using lib::meta::CustomStringConv;
 using lib::meta::Strip;
 
@@ -112,35 +114,7 @@ stringz (P<X> ptr)
 }
 
 
-
-/////////////////////////////////////////planned new ostream inclusion
-  namespace {
-    
-    template<typename X>
-    struct use_StringConversion4Stream
-      : __and_< std::is_class<typename Strip<X>::TypePlain>
-              ,__not_<std::is_pointer<X>>
-              ,__not_<can_lexical2string<X>>
-              >
-      { };
-  }
-  
-  template<typename X, typename =  enable_if <use_StringConversion4Stream<X>>>
-  std::ostream&
-  operator<< (std::ostream& os, X const& obj)
-  {
-    return os << CustomStringConv<X>::invoke (obj);
-  }
-  
-  template<typename X, typename =  enable_if <use_StringConversion4Stream<X>>>
-  std::ostream&
-  operator<< (std::ostream& os, X* ptr)
-  {
-    if (ptr)
-      return os << (void*)ptr << " ↗" << *ptr;
-    else
-      return os << "⟂ «" << typeStr<X>() << "»";
-  }
+namespace std {
   
   template<typename X>
   std::ostream&
@@ -148,8 +122,7 @@ stringz (P<X> ptr)
   {
     return os << stringz (ptr);
   }
-  
-/////////////////////////////////////////planned new ostream inclusion
+}
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/lib/format-cout.hpp b/src/lib/format-cout.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..637f16785
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/format-cout.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/*
+  FORMAT-COUT.hpp  -  use custom string conversions in stream output
+
+  Copyright (C)         Lumiera.org
+    2016,               Hermann Vosseler <Ichthyostega@web.de>
+
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+  modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+  published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
+  the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
+
+*/
+
+
+/** @file format-cout.hpp
+ ** Automatically use custom string conversion in C++ stream output.
+ ** This diagnostics facility allows just to dump any object into `cout` or `cerr`.
+ ** Pointers will be detected, checked for NULL and printed as address, followed
+ ** by the representation of the pointee. When the displayed entity defines an
+ ** `operator string()`, this custom string conversion will be used (suppressing
+ ** any exceptions, of course). As fallback, a simplified type string is printed.
+ ** 
+ ** @see FormatHelper_test
+ ** @see [frontend for boost::format, printf-style](format-string.hpp)
+ ** 
+ */
+
+
+#ifndef LIB_FORMAT_COUT_H
+#define LIB_FORMAT_COUT_H
+
+#include "lib/format-obj.hpp"
+//#include "lib/util.hpp"
+
+#include <string>
+#include <iostream>
+
+// make those generally visible
+using std::cout;
+using std::cerr;
+using std::endl;
+
+
+  
+namespace lib  {
+namespace meta {
+  
+  /** when to use custom string conversions for output streams */
+  template<typename X>
+  struct use_StringConversion4Stream
+    : __and_<std::is_class<typename Strip<X>::TypePlain>
+            ,__not_<std::is_pointer<X>>
+            ,__not_<can_lexical2string<X>>
+            >
+    { };
+}}
+
+
+
+namespace std {
+  
+  namespace { // toggle for the following generic overloads of operator<<
+    
+    template<typename X>
+    using enable_StringConversion = lib::meta::enable_if< lib::meta::use_StringConversion4Stream<X>>;
+  }
+  
+  
+  /** generic overload to use custom string conversions in output */
+  template<typename X, typename =    enable_StringConversion<X>>
+  ostream&
+  operator<< (ostream& os, X const& obj)
+  {
+    return os << lib::meta::CustomStringConv<X>::invoke (obj);
+  }
+  
+  
+  /** generic overload to pretty-print any pointer in output
+   * @note possibly also invokes custom string conversion,
+   *       in case the pointee defines one
+   */
+  template<typename X, typename =    enable_StringConversion<X>>
+  ostream&
+  operator<< (ostream& os, X* ptr)
+  {
+    if (ptr)
+      return os << (void*)ptr << " ↗" << *ptr;
+    else
+      return os << "⟂ «" << lib::meta::typeStr<X>() << "»";
+  }
+  
+  
+  
+} // namespace std
+#endif /*LIB_FORMAT_COUT_H*/