diff --git a/include/DOM/Utils/Stream.hpp b/include/DOM/Utils/Stream.hpp
index 0ffce48d..dcc1871f 100644
--- a/include/DOM/Utils/Stream.hpp
+++ b/include/DOM/Utils/Stream.hpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <algorithm>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 #include <XML/escaper.hpp>
 
 namespace Arabica
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void check_and_output_node_name(std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT>& stream,
       current[namespaceURI] =  prefix.second = node.getPrefix();
 
     if(!prefix.second.empty())
-      stream << prefix.second << Arabica::Unicode<charT>::COLON;
+      stream << prefix.second << Arabica::text::Unicode<charT>::COLON;
     stream << node.getLocalName();
   }
   else
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ void check_and_output_node_name(std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT>& stream,
 template<class stringT, class charT>
 bool isXmlns(const stringT& str)
 {
-  typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+  typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
 
   if(str.size() != 5)
     return false;
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ template<class stringT, class string_adaptorT, class charT, class traitsT>
 int prefix_mapper(std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT>& stream,
                    DOM::Node<stringT, string_adaptorT>& node)
 {
-  typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+  typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
 
   static const int index = std::ios_base::xalloc();
   std::vector<std::map<stringT, stringT> >* prefix_stack;
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT>&
 operator<<(std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT>& stream,
            DOM::Node<stringT, string_adaptorT>& node)
 {
-  typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+  typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
 
   switch(node.getNodeType())
   {
diff --git a/include/SAX/filter/PYXWriter.hpp b/include/SAX/filter/PYXWriter.hpp
index 63fa49da..96c7ec58 100644
--- a/include/SAX/filter/PYXWriter.hpp
+++ b/include/SAX/filter/PYXWriter.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <SAX/ArabicaConfig.hpp>
 #include <SAX/helpers/XMLFilterImpl.hpp>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 #include <ostream>
 
 namespace Arabica
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class PYXWriter : public XMLFilterImpl<string_type, T0, T1>
     typedef typename string_type::value_type charT;
     typedef typename string_type::traits_type traitsT;
     typedef std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT> ostreamT;
-    typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+    typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
   private:
     using XMLFilterT::getParent;
 
diff --git a/include/SAX/filter/WhitespaceStripperFilter.hpp b/include/SAX/filter/WhitespaceStripperFilter.hpp
index 7b493dcc..7d834abe 100644
--- a/include/SAX/filter/WhitespaceStripperFilter.hpp
+++ b/include/SAX/filter/WhitespaceStripperFilter.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <SAX/helpers/XMLFilterImpl.hpp>
 
-#include <Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
+#include <text/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
 
 namespace Arabica
 {
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class WhitespaceStripper : public SAX::XMLFilterImpl<string_type, T0, T1>
 
     virtual void characters(const string_type& ch)
     { 
-      XMLFilterT::characters(Arabica::string::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(ch));
+      XMLFilterT::characters(Arabica::text::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(ch));
     } // characters
 
     virtual void ignorableWhitespace(const string_type& ch)
diff --git a/include/SAX/filter/Writer.hpp b/include/SAX/filter/Writer.hpp
index bac9b6b1..6158d97a 100644
--- a/include/SAX/filter/Writer.hpp
+++ b/include/SAX/filter/Writer.hpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include <SAX/helpers/XMLFilterImpl.hpp>
 #include <SAX/ext/LexicalHandler.hpp>
 #include <SAX/ext/DeclHandler.hpp>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 #include <SAX/helpers/PropertyNames.hpp>
 #include <XML/escaper.hpp>
 #include <Utils/StringAdaptor.hpp>
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class Writer : public XMLFilterImpl<string_type, T0, T1>
     typedef XMLReaderInterface<string_type, T0, T1> XMLReaderT;
     typedef XMLFilterImpl<string_type, T0, T1> XMLFilterT;
     typedef typename XMLFilterImpl<string_type, T0, T1>::AttributesT AttributesT;
-    typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+    typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
     typedef Arabica::XML::text_escaper<charT, traitsT> text_escaperT;
     typedef Arabica::XML::attribute_escaper<charT, traitsT> attribute_escaperT;
   private:
diff --git a/include/SAX/helpers/XMLBaseSupport.hpp b/include/SAX/helpers/XMLBaseSupport.hpp
index fe183a03..f87fee7e 100644
--- a/include/SAX/helpers/XMLBaseSupport.hpp
+++ b/include/SAX/helpers/XMLBaseSupport.hpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #include <stack>
 #include <utility>
 #include <sstream>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 #include <io/uri.hpp>
 
 namespace Arabica
diff --git a/include/XML/escaper.hpp b/include/XML/escaper.hpp
index 99fa7811..41646210 100644
--- a/include/XML/escaper.hpp
+++ b/include/XML/escaper.hpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define ARABICA_UTILS_ESCAPER_HPP
 
 #include <iostream>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 
 namespace Arabica {
 namespace XML {
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class text_escaper
     typedef char_type charT;
     typedef traits_type traitsT;
     typedef std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT> ostreamT;
-    typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+    typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
 
   public:
     text_escaper(ostreamT& stream) : stream_(stream) { }
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class attribute_escaper : private text_escaper<char_type, traits_type>
     typedef char_type charT;
     typedef traits_type traitsT;
     typedef std::basic_ostream<charT, traitsT> ostreamT;
-    typedef Arabica::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
+    typedef Arabica::text::Unicode<charT> UnicodeT;
 
 public:
     attribute_escaper(ostreamT& stream) : text_escaper<char_type, traits_type>(stream) { }
diff --git a/include/XPath/impl/xpath_function.hpp b/include/XPath/impl/xpath_function.hpp
index 9f1379a5..e3874a38 100644
--- a/include/XPath/impl/xpath_function.hpp
+++ b/include/XPath/impl/xpath_function.hpp
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <XML/XMLCharacterClasses.hpp>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
-#include <Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
 #include "xpath_value.hpp"
 #include "xpath_execution_context.hpp"
 
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ public:
                                             const ExecutionContext<string_type, string_adaptor>& executionContext) const
   {
     string_type initial = ((baseT::argCount() > 0) ? baseT::argAsString(0, context, executionContext) : nodeStringValue<string_type, string_adaptor>(context));
-    string_type value = Arabica::string::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(initial);
+    string_type value = Arabica::text::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(initial);
     return new StringValue<string_type, string_adaptor>(value);
   } // evaluate
 }; // class NormalizeSpaceFn
diff --git a/include/XPath/impl/xpath_object.hpp b/include/XPath/impl/xpath_object.hpp
index 29b3888d..857d34af 100644
--- a/include/XPath/impl/xpath_object.hpp
+++ b/include/XPath/impl/xpath_object.hpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #endif
 #include <cmath>
 #include <Utils/StringAdaptor.hpp>
-#include <Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
+#include <text/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
 #include "xpath_axis_enumerator.hpp"
 
 namespace Arabica
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ template<class string_type, class string_adaptor>
 double stringAsNumber(const string_type& str)
 {
   try {
-    return boost::lexical_cast<double>(Arabica::string::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(str)); 
+    return boost::lexical_cast<double>(Arabica::text::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(str)); 
   } // try
   catch(const boost::bad_lexical_cast&) {
     return NaN;
diff --git a/include/XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp b/include/text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp
similarity index 99%
rename from include/XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp
rename to include/text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp
index a679041e..4a61a4b2 100644
--- a/include/XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp
+++ b/include/text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 namespace Arabica
 {
+namespace text
+{
 
 template<typename charT>
 struct Unicode
@@ -283,6 +285,7 @@ const charT Unicode<charT>::LOWERCASE_Z           = 0x7A;
 template<typename charT>
 const charT Unicode<charT>::VERTICAL_BAR          = 0x7C;   // |
 
+} // namespace text
 } // namespace Arabica
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp b/include/text/normalize_whitespace.hpp
similarity index 91%
rename from include/Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp
rename to include/text/normalize_whitespace.hpp
index 842a79fe..2ec858b6 100644
--- a/include/Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp
+++ b/include/text/normalize_whitespace.hpp
@@ -3,12 +3,11 @@
 
 #include <Utils/StringAdaptor.hpp>
 #include <XML/XMLCharacterClasses.hpp>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 
 namespace Arabica
 {
-
-namespace string
+namespace text
 {
 
 template<class string_type, class string_adaptor>
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ std::string normalize_whitespace<std::string, Arabica::default_string_adaptor<st
     while((i != ie) && (Arabica::XML::is_space(static_cast<char>(*i))))
       ++i;
     if(i != ie)
-      *p++ = Arabica::Unicode<char>::SPACE;
+      *p++ = Arabica::text::Unicode<char>::SPACE;
   } // while ...
   if(p != pe)
     value.erase(p, pe);
@@ -45,8 +44,7 @@ std::string normalize_whitespace<std::string, Arabica::default_string_adaptor<st
   return value;
 } // normalize_whitespace
 
-} // namespace string
-
+} // namespace text
 } // namespace Arabica
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/XML/XMLCharacterClasses.cpp b/src/XML/XMLCharacterClasses.cpp
index dd5cfc4a..51de0b3d 100644
--- a/src/XML/XMLCharacterClasses.cpp
+++ b/src/XML/XMLCharacterClasses.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 #include <XML/XMLCharacterClasses.hpp>
-#include <XML/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
+#include <text/UnicodeCharacters.hpp>
 #include <SAX/ArabicaConfig.hpp>
 
 const wchar_t base_char_ranges[][2] = 
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ const wchar_t base_char_ranges[][2] =
 
 bool Arabica::XML::is_char(wchar_t c)
 {
-  return (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::HORIZONTAL_TABULATION) ||
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::LINE_FEED) ||
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::CARRIAGE_RETURN) ||
+  return (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::HORIZONTAL_TABULATION) ||
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::LINE_FEED) ||
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::CARRIAGE_RETURN) ||
          ((c >= 0x0020) && (c <= 0xD7FF)) ||
          ((c >= 0xE000) && (c <= 0xFFFD)) 
 #ifndef ARABICA_NO_WCHAR_T 
@@ -90,20 +90,20 @@ bool Arabica::XML::is_char(wchar_t c)
 
 bool Arabica::XML::is_space(wchar_t c)
 {
-  return (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::SPACE) ||
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::HORIZONTAL_TABULATION) ||
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::CARRIAGE_RETURN) ||
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::LINE_FEED);
+  return (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::SPACE) ||
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::HORIZONTAL_TABULATION) ||
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::CARRIAGE_RETURN) ||
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::LINE_FEED);
 } // is_space
 
 bool Arabica::XML::is_name_char(wchar_t c)
 {
   return is_letter(c) ||
          is_digit(c) ||
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::FULL_STOP) || // .
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::HYPHEN_MINUS) || // -
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::LOW_LINE) || // _
-         (c == Unicode<wchar_t>::COLON) || // :
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::FULL_STOP) || // .
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::HYPHEN_MINUS) || // -
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::LOW_LINE) || // _
+         (c == text::Unicode<wchar_t>::COLON) || // :
          is_combining_char(c) ||
          is_extender(c);
 } // is_identifier
diff --git a/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf16.cpp b/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf16.cpp
index faea6028..ca1e0502 100644
--- a/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf16.cpp
+++ b/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf16.cpp
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@
 #include <convert/impl/ucs2_utf16.hpp>
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-using namespace Arabica::convert::impl;
-
-std::codecvt_base::result utf16_2_ucs2(bool be,
+std::codecvt_base::result Arabica::convert::impl::utf16_2_ucs2(bool be,
                        char const* from, char const* from_end, char const*& from_next,
                        wchar_t* to, wchar_t* to_limit, wchar_t*& to_next)
 {
@@ -23,7 +21,7 @@ std::codecvt_base::result utf16_2_ucs2(bool be,
   return (from_next == from_end) ? std::codecvt_base::ok : std::codecvt_base::partial;
 } // utf16_2_ucs2
 
-std::codecvt_base::result ucs2_2_utf16(bool be,
+std::codecvt_base::result Arabica::convert::impl::ucs2_2_utf16(bool be,
                         wchar_t const* from, wchar_t const* from_end, wchar_t const*& from_next,
                         char* to, char* to_limit, char*& to_next)
 {
diff --git a/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf8.cpp b/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf8.cpp
index 8368732e..929b52ac 100644
--- a/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf8.cpp
+++ b/src/convert/impl/ucs2_utf8.cpp
@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ namespace {
   };
 } // namespace 
 
-using namespace Arabica::convert::impl;
 
-std::codecvt_base::result ucs2_2_utf8(
+std::codecvt_base::result Arabica::convert::impl::ucs2_2_utf8(
                         const wchar_t* from, const wchar_t* from_end, const wchar_t*& from_next,
                         char* to, char* to_limit, char*& to_next)
 {
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ std::codecvt_base::result ucs2_2_utf8(
   return std::codecvt_base::ok;
 } // ucs2_2_utf8
 
-std::codecvt_base::result utf8_2_ucs2(
+std::codecvt_base::result Arabica::convert::impl::utf8_2_ucs2(
                        const char* from, const char* from_end, const char*& from_next,
                        wchar_t* to, wchar_t* to_limit, wchar_t*& to_next)
 {
diff --git a/tests/Utils/test_normalize_whitespace.hpp b/tests/Utils/test_normalize_whitespace.hpp
index 6b1fd887..d5a7ded9 100644
--- a/tests/Utils/test_normalize_whitespace.hpp
+++ b/tests/Utils/test_normalize_whitespace.hpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "../CppUnit/framework/TestSuite.h"
 #include "../CppUnit/framework/TestCaller.h"
 
-#include <Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
+#include <text/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
 
 template<class string_type, class string_adaptor>
 class NormalizeWhitespaceTest : public TestCase 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class NormalizeWhitespaceTest : public TestCase
 private:
    string_type normalize(const string_type& s)
    {
-     return Arabica::string::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(s);
+     return Arabica::text::normalize_whitespace<string_type, string_adaptor>(s);
    } // normalize
 };
 
diff --git a/tests/XSLT/xslt_test.hpp b/tests/XSLT/xslt_test.hpp
index 32ab1c0d..c03c814a 100644
--- a/tests/XSLT/xslt_test.hpp
+++ b/tests/XSLT/xslt_test.hpp
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include <DOM/SAX2DOM/SAX2DOM.hpp>
 #include <DOM/Utils/Stream.hpp>
 #include <XSLT/XSLT.hpp>
-#include <Utils/normalize_whitespace.hpp>
 
 #ifdef ARABICA_WINDOWS
 const std::string PATH_PREFIX="../tests/XSLT/testsuite/TESTS/";
@@ -200,7 +199,7 @@ protected:
   {
     std::ostringstream ss;
     ss << node;
-    return Arabica::string::normalize_whitespace<std::string, Arabica::default_string_adaptor<std::string> >(ss.str());
+    return Arabica::text::normalize_whitespace<std::string, Arabica::default_string_adaptor<std::string> >(ss.str());
   } // docToString
 
   void stripWhitespace(Arabica::DOM::Node<std::string> doc)
diff --git a/tests/silly_string/silly_string.cpp b/tests/silly_string/silly_string.cpp
index fcfc5eee..5655a90a 100644
--- a/tests/silly_string/silly_string.cpp
+++ b/tests/silly_string/silly_string.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #include "silly_string.hpp"
 
 #include <Utils/convertstream.hpp>
-#include <Utils/utf8ucs2codecvt.hpp>
-#include <Utils/ucs2utf8codecvt.hpp>
+#include <convert/utf8ucs2codecvt.hpp>
+#include <convert/ucs2utf8codecvt.hpp>
 
 silly_string::silly_string()
 {
diff --git a/vs8/lib_arabica.vcproj b/vs8/lib_arabica.vcproj
index f5814ea8..cb4ed64f 100644
--- a/vs8/lib_arabica.vcproj
+++ b/vs8/lib_arabica.vcproj
@@ -790,10 +790,6 @@
 					RelativePath="..\include\Utils\getparam.hpp"
 					>
 				</File>
-				<File
-					RelativePath="..\include\Utils\normalize_whitespace.hpp"
-					>
-				</File>
 				<File
 					RelativePath="..\include\Utils\StringAdaptor.hpp"
 					>
@@ -814,10 +810,6 @@
 					RelativePath="..\include\Xml\escaper.hpp"
 					>
 				</File>
-				<File
-					RelativePath="..\include\Xml\UnicodeCharacters.hpp"
-					>
-				</File>
 				<File
 					RelativePath="..\include\Xml\XMLCharacterClasses.hpp"
 					>
@@ -891,6 +883,18 @@
 					>
 				</File>
 			</Filter>
+			<Filter
+				Name="text"
+				>
+				<File
+					RelativePath="..\include\text\normalize_whitespace.hpp"
+					>
+				</File>
+				<File
+					RelativePath="..\include\text\UnicodeCharacters.hpp"
+					>
+				</File>
+			</Filter>
 		</Filter>
 		<Filter
 			Name="src"