--- java/tests/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/ResourceTypeReaderTest.java	(revision 474103)
+++ java/tests/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/ResourceTypeReaderTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ 
 
 package org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline;
 
-import org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.InlineMetaException;
-import org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.InlineMetaMap;
-import org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.ResourceTypeReader;
+import org.apache.xindice.core.data.Value;
 
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
@@ -43,14 +41,14 @@ 
 
         InlineMetaMap map;
 
-        map = reader.read(binaryData, 2, 1);
+        map = reader.read(new Value(binaryData, 2, 1));
         assertEquals(ResourceTypeReader.BINARY, map.get("type"));
 
-        map = reader.read(xmlData, 2, 1);
+        map = reader.read(new Value(xmlData, 2, 1));
         assertEquals(ResourceTypeReader.XML, map.get("type"));
         
         try {
-            reader.read(evilData, 2, 1);
+            reader.read(new Value(evilData, 2, 1));
             fail("failed to throw InlineMetaException on bad type value (3)");
         } catch (InlineMetaException e) {
             // expected exception
--- java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/InlineMetaService.java	(revision 474103)
+++ java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/InlineMetaService.java	(working copy)
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.apache.xindice.core.FaultCodes;
 import org.apache.xindice.core.data.Value;
-import org.apache.xindice.core.data.Record;
 
 /**
  * If the documents in a collection have headers, the Collection
@@ -119,22 +118,23 @@ 
      *         the header is corrupted.
      */
     public DatabaseEntry readDatabaseEntry(Value rawValue) throws InlineMetaException {
-        byte[] rawData = rawValue.getData();
         if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
-            log.debug("readDatabaseEntry: rawData: length=" + rawData.length + " byte 0: " + rawData[0] + " byte 1: " + rawData[1]);
+            log.debug("readDatabaseEntry: rawData: length=" + rawValue.getLength() +
+                      " byte 0: " + rawValue.byteAt(0) + " byte 1: " + rawValue.byteAt(1));
         }
 
         /*
          * Read the header.
          */
 
-        int version = rawData[1];
+        int headerLen = rawValue.byteAt(0);
+        int version = rawValue.byteAt(1);
         if (!haveReaderForVersion(version)) {
             throw new InlineMetaException(FaultCodes.GEN_CRITICAL_ERROR,
                                           "No inline metadata reader available for version " + version);
         }
         final InlineMetaReader reader = readerByVersion[version];
-        InlineMetaMap map = reader.read(rawData, 2, rawData[0] - 2);
+        InlineMetaMap map = reader.read(rawValue.getSubvalue(2, headerLen - 2));
         if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
             log.debug("readDatabaseEntry: map: type=" + map.get("type"));
         }
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ 
          * Exract the data into a Value object.
          */
 
-        Value value = new Value(rawData, rawData[0], rawData.length - rawData[0]);
+        Value value = rawValue.getSubvalue(headerLen, rawValue.getLength() - headerLen);
         // FIXME: May be Record should be used instead? new Record(null, value, map);
         return new DatabaseEntry(map, value);
     }
--- java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/InlineMetaReader.java	(revision 474103)
+++ java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/InlineMetaReader.java	(working copy)
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ 
 
 package org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline;
 
+import org.apache.xindice.core.data.Value;
+
 /**
  * The <code>Value</code> associated with a <code>Record</code>
  * can be prefixed by a header containing 'inline' metadata.
@@ -40,13 +42,10 @@ 
      * When a header is read, it generates a <code>Map</code>
      * containing the attributes carried by the header.
      *
-     * @param data array in which the header is embedded
-     * @param offset from the beginning of the data array to the
-     *        beginning of the header.
-     * @param length of the header data
+     * @param data Value object in which the header is embedded
      * @return Map containing the attributes read from the header
      * @throws InlineMetaException if the header data is corrupted or of
      *         the wrong length
      */
-    InlineMetaMap read(byte[] data, int offset, int length) throws InlineMetaException;
+    InlineMetaMap read(Value data) throws InlineMetaException;
 }
--- java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/ResourceTypeReader.java	(revision 474103)
+++ java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/ResourceTypeReader.java	(working copy)
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.apache.xindice.core.FaultCodes;
+import org.apache.xindice.core.data.Value;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -41,26 +42,19 @@ 
     }
 
     /**
-     * @see org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.InlineMetaReader#read(byte[], int, int)
+     * @see org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.InlineMetaReader#read(Value)
      */
-    public InlineMetaMap read(byte[] data, int offset, int length) throws InlineMetaException {
+    public InlineMetaMap read(Value data) throws InlineMetaException {
         if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
-            log.debug("ResourceTypeReader.read: data length=" + data.length + " offset=" + offset + " length=" + length);
+            log.debug("ResourceTypeReader.read: data length=" + data.getLength());
         }
 
-        if (length != 1) {
+        if (data.getLength() != 1) {
             throw new InlineMetaException(FaultCodes.COL_DOCUMENT_MALFORMED, "Expecting header length of 1");
         }
 
         Integer type;
-        try {
-            type = new Integer(data[offset]);
-        } catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
-            throw new InlineMetaException(
-                    FaultCodes.COL_DOCUMENT_MALFORMED,
-                    "Error reading from data (data length " + data.length + ", offset=" + offset + ", header length " + length + ")",
-                    e);
-        }
+        type = new Integer(data.byteAt(0));
 
         if (!XML.equals(type) && !BINARY.equals(type)) {
             throw new InlineMetaException(FaultCodes.COL_DOCUMENT_MALFORMED, "Unexpected type value: " + type);
--- java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/NullReader.java	(revision 474103)
+++ java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/meta/inline/NullReader.java	(working copy)
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ 
 package org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline;
 
 import org.apache.xindice.core.FaultCodes;
+import org.apache.xindice.core.data.Value;
 
 /**
  * Read metadata of length zero.  Handy for comparing performance
@@ -37,11 +38,11 @@ 
     }
 
     /**
-     * @see org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.InlineMetaReader#read(byte[], int, int)
+     * @see org.apache.xindice.core.meta.inline.InlineMetaReader#read(Value)
      */
-    public InlineMetaMap read(byte[] data, int offset, int length) throws InlineMetaException {
+    public InlineMetaMap read(Value data) throws InlineMetaException {
 
-        if (length != 0) {
+        if (data.getLength() != 0) {
             throw new InlineMetaException(FaultCodes.COL_DOCUMENT_MALFORMED, "Expecting header length of 0");
         }
 
--- java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/data/Value.java	(revision 474103)
+++ java/src/org/apache/xindice/core/data/Value.java	(working copy)
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ 
     }
 
     public Value(byte[] data, int pos, int len) {
+        if (pos >= data.length || pos < 0 || pos + len > data.length) {
+            throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException("Value cannot be created");
+        }
         this.data = data;
         this.pos = pos;
         this.len = len;
@@ -82,6 +85,34 @@ 
     }
 
     /**
+     * Returns the byte at the specified index.
+     *
+     * @param index byte index
+     * @return the byte at the specified index.
+     * @throws ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException if index is negative number or
+     *         is not less that the length of Value data
+     */
+    public final byte byteAt(int index) {
+        if (index < 0 || index >= len) {
+            throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException(index);
+        }
+        return data[pos + index];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a new Value that is part of this Value object.
+     *
+     * @param start beginning index
+     * @param len length of the new Value
+     * @return Value object
+     * @throws ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException if start index is either negative
+     *         or isn't less then length of original Value
+     */
+    public final Value getSubvalue(int start, int len) {
+        return new Value(data, start, len);
+    }
+
+    /**
      * getLength retrieves the length of the data being stored by the Value.
      *
      * @return The Value length
@@ -129,7 +160,7 @@ 
     }
 
     public boolean equals(Value value) {
-        return len == value.len ? compareTo(value) == 0 : false;
+        return len == value.len && compareTo(value) == 0;
     }
 
     public boolean equals(Object obj) {