diff --git a/src/lib/query.hpp b/src/lib/query.hpp
index 283292b24..2e3186cc6 100644
--- a/src/lib/query.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/query.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <typeinfo>
 
-#include <boost/format.hpp>
+#include <boost/format.hpp>                      /////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #166  Oh RLY ... need to do away with this 
 
 #include "lib/symbol.hpp"
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ namespace lumiera {
     {
     public:
       explicit Query (string const& predicate="") : string(predicate) {}
-      explicit Query (format& pattern)            : string(str(pattern)) {}
+//    explicit Query (format& pattern)            : string(str(pattern)) {} //////////////TICKET #166  outch... that needs to disappear
       
       const string asKey()  const
         {
diff --git a/src/lib/streamtype.hpp b/src/lib/streamtype.hpp
index 6dc5747fc..cf45ad59c 100644
--- a/src/lib/streamtype.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/streamtype.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include "lib/symbol.hpp"
 #include "lib/query.hpp"
+#include "proc/asset/entry-id.hpp"
 
 #include <boost/noncopyable.hpp>
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ namespace lumiera {
   
   
   /**
-   * 
+   * TODO write type comment
    */
   struct StreamType : boost::noncopyable
     {
@@ -72,6 +73,8 @@ namespace lumiera {
       class ImplFacade;
       class ImplConstraint;
       
+      typedef asset::EntryID<StreamType> ID;
+      
       
       Prototype const& prototype;
       ImplFacade * implType;       /////////////TODO: really by ptr???
@@ -149,9 +152,9 @@ namespace lumiera {
        *  and use it to create a new framebuffer */
       virtual DataBuffer* createFrame ()  const =0;
       
-      /** similarily create a impl type which complies to this constraint
+      /** Similarly create a impl type which complies to this constraint
        *  as well as to the additional constraints (e.g. frame size).
-       *  Create a new framebuffer of the resutling type */
+       *  Create a new frame buffer of the resulting type */
       virtual DataBuffer* createFrame (ImplConstraint const& furtherConstraints)  const =0;
       
       //TODO: do we need functions to represent and describe this constraint?
diff --git a/src/proc/asset/entry-id.hpp b/src/proc/asset/entry-id.hpp
index 3f736892e..b16739a02 100644
--- a/src/proc/asset/entry-id.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/asset/entry-id.hpp
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ namespace asset {
         }
       
       friend ostream& operator<<   (ostream& os, EntryID const& id) { return os << string(id); }
-      friend bool operator<  (EntryID const& i1, EntryID const& i2) { return i1.getSym()  <  i2.getSym(); }
+      friend bool operator<  (EntryID const& i1, EntryID const& i2) { return i1.getSym()  < i2.getSym(); }
     };
     
   
diff --git a/src/proc/asset/pipe.cpp b/src/proc/asset/pipe.cpp
index 2188a8138..8e823313a 100644
--- a/src/proc/asset/pipe.cpp
+++ b/src/proc/asset/pipe.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ namespace asset {
    *  default wiring.
    */
   Pipe::Pipe ( const Asset::Ident& idi
-             , string const& streamID
+             , string const& streamID     ////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #648
              , PProcPatt& wiring
              , string shortName
              , string longName
diff --git a/src/proc/asset/pipe.hpp b/src/proc/asset/pipe.hpp
index 35c64664d..aed616264 100644
--- a/src/proc/asset/pipe.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/asset/pipe.hpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #include "proc/asset/struct.hpp"
 #include "proc/asset/procpatt.hpp"
+#include "lib/streamtype.hpp"
 
 #include <string>
 
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@
 namespace asset {
   
   using lumiera::P;
+  using lumiera::StreamType;
   using std::string;
   
   class Pipe;
@@ -49,9 +51,12 @@ namespace asset {
       ID (PPipe const&);
       
       /** allows a Pipe-ID to stand in for a full Pipe Asset
-       *  @throw error::Invalid when there is no corresponding Pipe
-       */
+       *  @throw error::Invalid when there is no corresponding Pipe */
       operator PPipe()  const;
+      
+      /** allows to fetch the StreamType directly just from a Pipe-ID
+       *  @throw error::Invalid when there is no corresponding Pipe */
+      StreamType::ID streamType()  const;
     };
   
   
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ namespace asset {
     : public Struct
     {
       PProcPatt wiringTemplate_;
-      const string streamID_;                   ///< @todo just a placeholder for now 10/10
+      StreamType::ID streamID_;              ////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #648
       
     public:
       string shortDesc;
@@ -84,7 +89,7 @@ namespace asset {
       
     public:
       string const& getPipeID()       const { return ident.name;      }
-      string const& getStreamID()     const { return streamID_;       }
+      StreamType::ID getStreamID()    const { return streamID_;       }   ////////////////////////////////////////TICKET #648
       PProcPatt const& getProcPatt()  const { return wiringTemplate_; }
       
       
@@ -104,8 +109,18 @@ namespace asset {
   inline ID<Pipe>::ID(HashVal id)        : ID<Struct> (id)            {};
   inline ID<Pipe>::ID(Pipe const& pipe)  : ID<Struct> (pipe.getID())  {};
   inline ID<Pipe>::ID(PPipe const& pipe) : ID<Struct> (pipe->getID()) {};
-  inline ID<Pipe>::operator PPipe() const { return Pipe::lookup(*this); }
   
+  inline
+  ID<Pipe>::operator PPipe() const
+    {
+      return Pipe::lookup(*this);
+    }
+  
+  inline StreamType::ID
+  ID<Pipe>::streamType() const
+    {
+      return Pipe::lookup(*this)->getStreamID();
+    }
   
   
   
diff --git a/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp b/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp
index 9145c2ad8..70f893149 100644
--- a/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp
+++ b/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ namespace asset {
     normaliseID (pipeID);
     normaliseID (streamID);
     static format descriptor("pipe(%s), stream(%s).");
-    Pipe* pP = impl_->fabricate (Query<Pipe> (descriptor % pipeID % streamID));
+    Pipe* pP = impl_->fabricate (Query<Pipe> (str(descriptor % pipeID % streamID)));
     return AssetManager::instance().wrap (*pP);
   }
   
diff --git a/src/proc/control/stypemanager.cpp b/src/proc/control/stypemanager.cpp
index 10131f130..4ba2fda19 100644
--- a/src/proc/control/stypemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/proc/control/stypemanager.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,14 @@ namespace control {
   }
   
   
+  /** */
+  StreamType const&
+  STypeManager::getType (StreamType::ID stID) 
+  {
+    UNIMPLEMENTED ("get type just by symbolic ID (query defaults manager)");
+  }
+  
+  
   StreamType const& 
   STypeManager::getType (StreamType::Prototype const& protoType)
   {
diff --git a/src/proc/control/stypemanager.hpp b/src/proc/control/stypemanager.hpp
index 70003eef4..cd6a311df 100644
--- a/src/proc/control/stypemanager.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/control/stypemanager.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ namespace control {
        *  just a symbolic ID. Effectively this queries a default */
       StreamType const& getType (Symbol sTypeID) ;
       
+      StreamType const& getType (StreamType::ID stID) ;
+      
       /** build or retrieve a complete StreamType implementing the given Prototype */
       StreamType const& getType (StreamType::Prototype const& protoType) ;
       
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/asset/basicpipetest.cpp b/tests/components/proc/asset/basicpipetest.cpp
index 70f644ed1..e3491cba4 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/asset/basicpipetest.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/asset/basicpipetest.cpp
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ using std::string;
 using std::cout;
 
 
-namespace asset
-  {
-  namespace test
-    {
+namespace asset {
+namespace test  {
+  
     using mobject::Session;
     using lumiera::Query;
     using lumiera::query::normaliseID;
+    using lumiera::StreamType;
     
     
     
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ namespace asset
             ASSERT (thePipe);
             ASSERT (thePipe->getProcPatt());
             ASSERT (thePipe->getPipeID() == pID_sane);
-            ASSERT (thePipe->getStreamID() == sID);
+            ASSERT (thePipe->getStreamID() == StreamType::ID(sID));
             ASSERT (thePipe->shortDesc == pID_sane);
             
             Asset::Ident idi = thePipe->ident;
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ namespace asset
             string sID = pipe1->getStreamID(); // sort of a "default stream type"
             PPipe pipe3 = Pipe::query ("stream("+sID+")");
             ASSERT (pipe3);
-            ASSERT (pipe3->getStreamID() == sID);
+            ASSERT (pipe3->getStreamID() == StreamType::ID(sID));
             ASSERT (pipe3->getProcPatt() == Session::current->defaults (Query<const ProcPatt>("stream("+sID+")")));
           }
         
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/output-mapping-test.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/output-mapping-test.cpp
index db6f36ee1..5f4a5be1a 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/output-mapping-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/output-mapping-test.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace test  {
             {
               PPipe srcP = Pipe::lookup (sourcePipeID);
               format queryPattern ("id(master_%1%), stream(%1%), ord(%2%)");
-              return Query<Pipe> (queryPattern % srcP->getStreamID() % seqNr);
+              return Query<Pipe> (str(queryPattern % srcP->getStreamID() % seqNr));
             }
         };
       
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagerimpltest.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagerimpltest.cpp
index 954730804..44a2184cd 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagerimpltest.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagerimpltest.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "common/configrules.hpp"
 #include "proc/assetmanager.hpp"
 #include "proc/mobject/session.hpp"
+#include "lib/streamtype.hpp"
 
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
 
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ namespace asset {
     
     using lumiera::ConfigRules;
     using lumiera::query::QueryHandler;
+    using lumiera::StreamType;
     
     
     
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ namespace asset {
         define_and_search ()
           {
             string sID = newID ("stream");
+            StreamType::ID stID (sID);
             
              // create Pipes explicitly 
             //  (without utilising default queries)
@@ -101,7 +104,7 @@ namespace asset {
             PPipe pipe2 = Struct::retrieve.newPipe (newID("pipe"), sID            );
             
             ASSERT (pipe1 != pipe2);
-            ASSERT (sID == pipe2->getStreamID());
+            ASSERT (stID == pipe2->getStreamID());
             
             ASSERT (!find (pipe1->getPipeID()), "accidental clash of random test-IDs");
             ASSERT (!find (pipe2->getPipeID()), "accidental clash of random test-IDs");
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@ lumiera::query::setFakeBypass("stream("+sID+")"); //////////////////////////////
             ASSERT ( find (pipe1->getPipeID()), "failure declaring object as default");
             ASSERT ( find (pipe2->getPipeID()), "failure declaring object as default");
             
-            ASSERT (sID != pipe1->getStreamID(), "accidental clash");
+            ASSERT (stID != pipe1->getStreamID(), "accidental clash");
             ASSERT (!Session::current->defaults.define (pipe1, Query<Pipe> ("stream("+sID+")")));
                     // can't be registered with this query, due to failure caused by wrong stream-ID
           }
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagertest.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagertest.cpp
index 608dce6db..8b67522c9 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagertest.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/session/defsmanagertest.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "proc/asset/pipe.hpp"
 #include "proc/assetmanager.hpp"
 #include "proc/mobject/session.hpp"
+#include "lib/streamtype.hpp"
 
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
 
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ namespace test  {
     using mobject::Session;
     using lumiera::Query;
     using lumiera::query::normaliseID;
+    using lumiera::StreamType;
     
     
     /** shortcut: run just a query
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ namespace test  {
         retrieveConstrainedDefault (string pID, string sID)
           {
             PPipe pipe1 = Pipe::query (""); // "the default pipe"
-            ASSERT (sID != pipe1->getStreamID(),
+            ASSERT ( pipe1->getStreamID() != StreamType::ID(sID),
                     "stream-ID \"%s\" not suitable for test, because "
                     "the default-pipe \"%s\" happens to have the same "
                     "stream-ID. We need it to be different", 
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ namespace test  {
             
             string query_for_sID ("stream("+sID+")");
             PPipe pipe2 = Pipe::query (query_for_sID);
-            ASSERT (sID == pipe2->getStreamID());
+            ASSERT (pipe2->getStreamID() == StreamType::ID(sID));
             ASSERT (pipe2 != pipe1);
             ASSERT (pipe2 == Pipe::query (query_for_sID));   // reproducible
           }