diff --git a/eo/src/eoFixedLength.h b/eo/src/eoFixedLength.h
index 1a00d376..0754a6c3 100644
--- a/eo/src/eoFixedLength.h
+++ b/eo/src/eoFixedLength.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class eoFixedLength : public EO<FitT>, public std::vector<GeneType>
 {
     public :
     
-    typedef typename GeneType Type;
+    typedef GeneType Type;
 
     /// to avoid conflicts between EO::operator< and vector<double>::operator<
     bool operator<(const eoFixedLength<FitT, GeneType>& _eo) const
@@ -48,6 +48,31 @@ class eoFixedLength : public EO<FitT>, public std::vector<GeneType>
         return EO<FitT>::operator<(_eo);
     }
 
+    /// printing...
+    void printOn(ostream& os) const
+    {
+        EO<FitT>::printOn(os);
+        os << ' ';
+
+        os << size() << ' ';
+
+        std::copy(begin(), end(), ostream_iterator<double>(os));
+    }
+
+    /// reading...
+    void readFrom(istream& is)
+    {
+        EO<FitT>::readFrom(is);
+
+        unsigned sz;
+        is >> sz;
+
+        resize(sz);
+        unsigned i;
+
+        for (i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
+            is >> operator[](i);
+    }
 };
 
 /// to avoid conflicts between EO::operator< and vector<double>::operator<
diff --git a/eo/src/es/eoEsFull.h b/eo/src/es/eoEsFull.h
index 67ba3290..9328f19b 100644
--- a/eo/src/es/eoEsFull.h
+++ b/eo/src/es/eoEsFull.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ template <class Fit>
 class eoEsFull : public eoFixedLength<Fit, double>
 {
     public :
+    typedef double Type;
     
     eoEsFull(void) : eoFixedLength<Fit, double>() {}
     
@@ -47,10 +48,8 @@ class eoEsFull : public eoFixedLength<Fit, double>
 
     void printOn(std::ostream& os) const
     {
-        os << size() << ' ';
+        eoFixedLength<Fit,double>::printOn(os);
 
-        std::copy(begin(), end(), std::ostream_iterator<double>(os));
-        
         os << ' ';
         std::copy(stdevs.begin(), stdevs.end(), std::ostream_iterator<double>(os));
     
@@ -63,21 +62,15 @@ class eoEsFull : public eoFixedLength<Fit, double>
 
     void readFrom(istream& is)
     {
-        unsigned sz;
-        is >> sz;
+        eoFixedLength<Fit,double>::readFrom(is);
+
+        stdevs.resize(size());
 
-        resize(sz);
         unsigned i;
-
-        for (i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
-            is >> operator[](i);
-
-        stdevs.resize(sz);
-
-        for (i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
+        for (i = 0; i < size(); ++i)
             is >> stdevs[i];
 
-        correlations.resize(sz*(sz - 1) / 2);
+        correlations.resize(size()*(size() - 1) / 2);
 
         for (i = 0; i < correlations.size(); ++i)
             is >> correlations[i];
diff --git a/eo/src/es/eoEsSimple.h b/eo/src/es/eoEsSimple.h
index 8516dcf0..2f337fb0 100644
--- a/eo/src/es/eoEsSimple.h
+++ b/eo/src/es/eoEsSimple.h
@@ -48,29 +48,22 @@ class eoEsSimple : public eoFixedLength<Fit, double>
 {
 public :
 
+    typedef double Type;
+
     eoEsSimple(void) : eoFixedLength<Fit, double>() {}
 
     std::string className(void) const { return "eoEsSimple"; }
 
-    void printOn(ostream& os) const
+    void printOn(std::ostream& os) const
     {
-        os << size() << ' ';
+        eoFixedLength<Fit,double>::printOn(os);
 
-        std::copy(begin(), end(), ostream_iterator<double>(os));
-        
         os << ' ' << stdev << ' ';
     }
 
     void readFrom(istream& is)
     {
-        unsigned sz;
-        is >> sz;
-
-        resize(sz);
-        unsigned i;
-
-        for (i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
-            is >> operator[](i);
+        eoFixedLength<Fit,double>::readFrom(is);
 
         is >> stdev;
     }
diff --git a/eo/src/es/eoEsStdev.h b/eo/src/es/eoEsStdev.h
index 9c998ffd..4d38c502 100644
--- a/eo/src/es/eoEsStdev.h
+++ b/eo/src/es/eoEsStdev.h
@@ -40,16 +40,16 @@ template <class Fit>
 class eoEsStdev : public eoFixedLength<Fit, double>
 {
     public :
-    
+  
+    typedef double Type;
+
     eoEsStdev(void) : eoFixedLength<Fit, double>() {}
 
     std::string className(void) const { return "eoEsStdev"; }
     
     void printOn(std::ostream& os) const
     {
-        os << size() << ' ';
-
-        std::copy(begin(), end(), std::ostream_iterator<double>(os));
+        eoFixedLength<Fit,double>::printOn(os);
         
         os << ' ';
         std::copy(stdevs.begin(), stdevs.end(), std::ostream_iterator<double>(os));
@@ -59,18 +59,11 @@ class eoEsStdev : public eoFixedLength<Fit, double>
 
     void readFrom(istream& is)
     {
-        unsigned sz;
-        is >> sz;
+        eoFixedLength<Fit,double>::readFrom(is);
+        stdevs.resize(size());
 
-        resize(sz);
         unsigned i;
-
-        for (i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
-            is >> operator[](i);
-
-        stdevs.resize(sz);
-
-        for (i = 0; i < sz; ++i)
+        for (i = 0; i < size(); ++i)
             is >> stdevs[i];
     }