Index: generic/predefined.h
===================================================================
diff -u -r670151ba40e8da27625ed679f2d3ff58d1763239 -r4a91216d0624226fb9a64de97feccc84cc79df79
--- generic/predefined.h	(.../predefined.h)	(revision 670151ba40e8da27625ed679f2d3ff58d1763239)
+++ generic/predefined.h	(.../predefined.h)	(revision 4a91216d0624226fb9a64de97feccc84cc79df79)
@@ -453,6 +453,8 @@
 "set setterParam ${:name}}\n"
 "::xotcl::setter ${:domain} {*}$perObject $setterParam}}\n"
 "::xotcl::Attribute mixin add ::xotcl::Attribute::Optimizer\n"
+"::xotcl2::Object method attribute {spec {-slotclass ::xotcl::Attribute} {initblock \"\"}} {\n"
+"$slotclass createFromParameterSyntax [self] -initblock $initblock {*}$spec}\n"
 "::xotcl2::Class public method parameter arglist {\n"
 "foreach arg $arglist {\n"
 "::xotcl::Attribute createFromParameterSyntax [self] {*}$arg}\n"
@@ -470,15 +472,15 @@
 "if {![::xotcl::is $value metaclass]} {\n"
 "error \"expected metaclass but got \\\"$value\\\" for parameter $name\"}\n"
 "return $value}}\n"
-"::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::ScopedNew -superclass ::xotcl2::Class -parameter {\n"
-"{withclass ::xotcl2::Object}\n"
-"container}\n"
-"::xotcl::ScopedNew protected method init {} {\n"
+"::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::ScopedNew -superclass ::xotcl2::Class {\n"
+":attribute {withclass ::xotcl2::Object}\n"
+":attribute container\n"
+":protected method init {} {\n"
 ":public method new {-childof args} {\n"
 "::xotcl::importvar [::xotcl::self class] {container object} withclass\n"
 "if {![::xotcl::is $object object]} {\n"
 "$withclass create $object}\n"
-"eval ::xotcl::next -childof $object $args}}\n"
+"eval ::xotcl::next -childof $object $args}}}\n"
 "::xotcl2::Object public method contains {\n"
 "{-withnew:boolean true}\n"
 "-object\n"
@@ -498,10 +500,10 @@
 "namespace eval $object $cmds}}\n"
 "::xotcl2::Class forward slots %self contains \\\n"
 "-object {%::xotcl::dispatch [::xotcl::self] -objscope ::subst [::xotcl::self]::slot}\n"
-"::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::CopyHandler -parameter {\n"
-"{targetList \"\"}\n"
-"{dest \"\"}\n"
-"objLength} {\n"
+"::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::CopyHandler {\n"
+":attribute {targetList \"\"}\n"
+":attribute {dest \"\"}\n"
+":attribute objLength\n"
 ":method makeTargetList {t} {\n"
 "lappend :targetList $t\n"
 "if {[::xotcl::is $t object]} {\n"
Index: generic/predefined.xotcl
===================================================================
diff -u -r670151ba40e8da27625ed679f2d3ff58d1763239 -r4a91216d0624226fb9a64de97feccc84cc79df79
--- generic/predefined.xotcl	(.../predefined.xotcl)	(revision 670151ba40e8da27625ed679f2d3ff58d1763239)
+++ generic/predefined.xotcl	(.../predefined.xotcl)	(revision 4a91216d0624226fb9a64de97feccc84cc79df79)
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@
       }
       ${:domain} __invalidateobjectparameter
       set cl [expr {${:per-object} ? "Object" : "Class"}]
+      #puts stderr "Slot [self] init, forwarder on ${:domain}"
       ::xotcl::forward ${:domain} ${:name} \
           ${:manager} \
           [list %1 [${:manager} defaultmethods]] %self \
@@ -851,6 +852,12 @@
   # register the optimizer per default
   ::xotcl::Attribute mixin add ::xotcl::Attribute::Optimizer
 
+  ############################################
+  # Define method "attribute" for convenience
+  ############################################
+  ::xotcl2::Object method attribute {spec {-slotclass ::xotcl::Attribute} {initblock ""}} {
+    $slotclass createFromParameterSyntax [self] -initblock $initblock {*}$spec
+  }
 
   ############################################
   # Define method "parameter" for backward 
@@ -906,17 +913,19 @@
 # (without syntactic overhead).
 ##################################################################
 
-::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::ScopedNew -superclass ::xotcl2::Class -parameter {
-  {withclass ::xotcl2::Object}
-  container
-}
-::xotcl::ScopedNew protected method init {} {
-  :public method new {-childof args} {
-    ::xotcl::importvar [::xotcl::self class] {container object} withclass
-     if {![::xotcl::is $object object]} {
-      $withclass create $object
+::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::ScopedNew -superclass ::xotcl2::Class {
+  
+  :attribute {withclass ::xotcl2::Object}
+  :attribute container
+
+  :protected method init {} {
+    :public method new {-childof args} {
+      ::xotcl::importvar [::xotcl::self class] {container object} withclass
+      if {![::xotcl::is $object object]} {
+        $withclass create $object
+      }
+      eval ::xotcl::next -childof $object $args
     }
-    eval ::xotcl::next -childof $object $args
   }
 }
 
@@ -956,12 +965,12 @@
 # copy/move implementation
 ##################################################################
 
-::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::CopyHandler -parameter {
-  {targetList ""}
-  {dest ""}
-  objLength
-} {
+::xotcl2::Class create ::xotcl::CopyHandler {
 
+  :attribute {targetList ""}
+  :attribute {dest ""}
+  :attribute objLength
+
   :method makeTargetList {t} {
     lappend :targetList $t
     # if it is an object without namespace, it is a leaf