diff --git a/research/try.cpp b/research/try.cpp
index b8540359e..3fd2439b2 100644
--- a/research/try.cpp
+++ b/research/try.cpp
@@ -79,22 +79,17 @@ typedef unsigned int uint;
 #include <utility>
 #include <string>
 
-using lib::diff::GenNode;
 using lib::P;
-using lib::meta::enable_if;
-using lib::meta::typeStr;
+using lib::diff::GenNode;
 using lib::meta::is_basically;
+using lib::meta::is_StringLike;
 using lib::meta::can_lexical2string;
 using lib::meta::can_convertToString;
 using lib::meta::use_StringConversion4Stream;
 using lib::meta::CustomStringConv;
 using lib::meta::Strip;
 
-using std::__and_;
-using std::__not_;
 using std::string;
-using std::cout;
-using std::endl;
 
 
 
@@ -102,30 +97,6 @@ using std::endl;
 
 
 
-///////////////////////////////shall go into the implementation of lib::P
-template<typename X>
-inline string
-stringz (P<X> ptr)
-{
-  if (not ptr)
-    return "⟂ P<"+typeStr(ptr.get())+">";
-  else
-    return CustomStringConv<X>::invoke (*ptr);
-}
-
-
-namespace std {
-  
-  template<typename X>
-  std::ostream&
-  operator<< (std::ostream& os, P<X> const& ptr)
-  {
-    return os << stringz (ptr);
-  }
-}
-
-
-
 class Reticent
   {
     uint neigh_ = 42;
@@ -144,7 +115,7 @@ newP (ARGS&&... ctorArgs)
 template<typename T>
 using BasicallyString = is_basically<T, string>;
 template<typename T>
-using BasicallyChar = is_basically<typename std::remove_all_extents<T>::type, char>;
+using BasicallyChar = std::is_convertible<T, const char*>;
 
 
 void
@@ -154,11 +125,12 @@ showTypes()
 #define SHOW_CHECK(_EXPR_) cout << STRINGIFY(_EXPR_) << "\t : " << (_EXPR_::value? "Yes":"No") << endl;
 #define ANALYSE(_TYPE_)                 \
     cout << "Type: " STRINGIFY(_TYPE_) " ......"<<endl;   \
-    SHOW_CHECK (BasicallyChar<_TYPE_>);   \
-    SHOW_CHECK (BasicallyString<_TYPE_>);  \
-    SHOW_CHECK (std::is_arithmetic<_TYPE_>);\
-    SHOW_CHECK (can_lexical2string<_TYPE_>); \
-    SHOW_CHECK (can_convertToString<_TYPE_>); \
+    SHOW_CHECK (is_StringLike<_TYPE_>);   \
+    SHOW_CHECK (BasicallyChar<_TYPE_>);    \
+    SHOW_CHECK (BasicallyString<_TYPE_>);   \
+    SHOW_CHECK (std::is_arithmetic<_TYPE_>); \
+    SHOW_CHECK (can_lexical2string<_TYPE_>);  \
+    SHOW_CHECK (can_convertToString<_TYPE_>);  \
     SHOW_CHECK (use_StringConversion4Stream<_TYPE_>);
     
     
diff --git a/src/lib/p.hpp b/src/lib/p.hpp
index d88a51717..01d5c69c6 100644
--- a/src/lib/p.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/p.hpp
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 
 
 #include "lib/error.hpp"
+#include "lib/meta/util.hpp"
+
 #include <memory>
 
 
@@ -98,6 +100,8 @@ namespace lib {
       
       void swap(P& b)         { BASE::swap (b);}
       
+      operator std::string()  const noexcept;
+      
       
     private: /* === friend operators injected into enclosing namespace for ADL === */
                                                                                           //////////////////TICKET #932 Clang is unable to fill in the default template argument. Resolved in newer versions of Clang. Temporary workaround: add second parameter B
@@ -128,5 +132,24 @@ namespace lib {
     };
   
   
+  
+  /**
+   * use custom string conversion on pointee, if applicable,
+   * otherwise fall back to a human readable type string.S
+   */
+  template<class TAR, class BASE>
+  inline
+  P<TAR,BASE>::operator std::string()  const noexcept
+  try {
+    if (this->get())
+      return meta::CustomStringConv<TAR>::invoke (this->operator*());
+    else
+      return "⟂ P<"+meta::typeStr(this->get())+">";
+  }
+  catch(...)
+  { return "↯"; }
+  
+  
+  
 } // namespace lib
 #endif