diff --git a/TBXML-Code/TBXML.m b/TBXML-Code/TBXML.m
index b5b1bec..9256c01 100644
--- a/TBXML-Code/TBXML.m
+++ b/TBXML-Code/TBXML.m
@@ -207,12 +207,12 @@ - (id)initWithXMLFile:(NSString*)aXMLFile fileExtension:(NSString*)aFileExtensio
 	return self;
 }
 
-- (int) decodeData:(NSData*)data {
+- (NSInteger) decodeData:(NSData*)data {
     NSError *error = nil;
     return [self decodeData:data withError:&error];
 }
 
-- (int) decodeData:(NSData*)data withError:(NSError **)error {
+- (NSInteger) decodeData:(NSData*)data withError:(NSError **)error {
     
     NSError *localError = nil;
     
@@ -256,8 +256,7 @@ - (int) decodeData:(NSData*)data withError:(NSError **)error {
 @implementation TBXML (StaticFunctions)
 
 + (NSString*) elementName:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement {
-	if (nil == aXMLElement->name) return @"";
-	return [NSString stringWithCString:&aXMLElement->name[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+	return [self elementName:aXMLElement error:nil];
 }
 
 + (NSString*) elementName:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -277,8 +276,7 @@ + (NSString*) elementName:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement error:(NSError **)error {
 }
 
 + (NSString*) attributeName:(TBXMLAttribute*)aXMLAttribute {
-	if (nil == aXMLAttribute->name) return @"";
-	return [NSString stringWithCString:&aXMLAttribute->name[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+	return [self attributeName:aXMLAttribute error:nil];
 }
 
 + (NSString*) attributeName:(TBXMLAttribute*)aXMLAttribute error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -299,8 +297,7 @@ + (NSString*) attributeName:(TBXMLAttribute*)aXMLAttribute error:(NSError **)err
 
 
 + (NSString*) attributeValue:(TBXMLAttribute*)aXMLAttribute {
-	if (nil == aXMLAttribute->value) return @"";
-	return [NSString stringWithCString:&aXMLAttribute->value[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+	return [self attributeValue:aXMLAttribute error:nil];
 }
 
 + (NSString*) attributeValue:(TBXMLAttribute*)aXMLAttribute error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -310,12 +307,17 @@ + (NSString*) attributeValue:(TBXMLAttribute*)aXMLAttribute error:(NSError **)er
         return @"";
     }
     
+    // check for nil attribute value
+    if (nil == aXMLAttribute->value) {
+        if (error) *error = [TBXML errorWithCode:D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_IS_NIL];
+        return @"";
+    }
+    
 	return [NSString stringWithCString:&aXMLAttribute->value[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
 }
 
 + (NSString*) textForElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement {
-	if (nil == aXMLElement->text) return @"";
-	return [NSString stringWithCString:&aXMLElement->text[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
+	return [self textForElement:aXMLElement error:nil];
 }
 
 + (NSString*) textForElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -335,17 +337,7 @@ + (NSString*) textForElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement error:(NSError **)error
 }
 
 + (NSString*) valueOfAttributeNamed:(NSString *)aName forElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement {
-	const char * name = [aName cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
-	NSString * value = nil;
-	TBXMLAttribute * attribute = aXMLElement->firstAttribute;
-	while (attribute) {
-		if (strlen(attribute->name) == strlen(name) && memcmp(attribute->name,name,strlen(name)) == 0) {
-			value = [NSString stringWithCString:&attribute->value[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
-			break;
-		}
-		attribute = attribute->next;
-	}
-	return value;
+    return [self valueOfAttributeNamed:aName forElement:aXMLElement error:nil];
 }
 
 + (NSString*) valueOfAttributeNamed:(NSString *)aName forElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -370,7 +362,7 @@ + (NSString*) valueOfAttributeNamed:(NSString *)aName forElement:(TBXMLElement*)
             if (attribute->value[0])
                 value = [NSString stringWithCString:&attribute->value[0] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
             else
-                value = [NSString stringWithString:@""];
+                value = @"";
             
 			break;
 		}
@@ -386,17 +378,8 @@ + (NSString*) valueOfAttributeNamed:(NSString *)aName forElement:(TBXMLElement*)
 	return value;
 }
 
-+ (TBXMLElement*) childElementNamed:(NSString*)aName parentElement:(TBXMLElement*)aParentXMLElement{
-    
-	TBXMLElement * xmlElement = aParentXMLElement->firstChild;
-	const char * name = [aName cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
-	while (xmlElement) {
-		if (strlen(xmlElement->name) == strlen(name) && memcmp(xmlElement->name,name,strlen(name)) == 0) {
-			return xmlElement;
-		}
-		xmlElement = xmlElement->nextSibling;
-	}
-	return nil;
++ (TBXMLElement*) childElementNamed:(NSString*)aName parentElement:(TBXMLElement*)aParentXMLElement {
+    return [self childElementNamed:aName parentElement:aParentXMLElement error:nil];
 }
 
 + (TBXMLElement*) childElementNamed:(NSString*)aName parentElement:(TBXMLElement*)aParentXMLElement error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -427,15 +410,7 @@ + (TBXMLElement*) childElementNamed:(NSString*)aName parentElement:(TBXMLElement
 }
 
 + (TBXMLElement*) nextSiblingNamed:(NSString*)aName searchFromElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement{
-	TBXMLElement * xmlElement = aXMLElement->nextSibling;
-	const char * name = [aName cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
-	while (xmlElement) {
-		if (strlen(xmlElement->name) == strlen(name) && memcmp(xmlElement->name,name,strlen(name)) == 0) {
-			return xmlElement;
-		}
-		xmlElement = xmlElement->nextSibling;
-	}
-	return nil;
+    return [self nextSiblingNamed:aName searchFromElement:aXMLElement error:nil];
 }
 
 + (TBXMLElement*) nextSiblingNamed:(NSString*)aName searchFromElement:(TBXMLElement*)aXMLElement error:(NSError **)error {
@@ -550,6 +525,7 @@ + (NSString *) errorTextForCode:(int)code {
         case D_TBXML_ELEMENT_NAME_IS_NIL:       codeText = @"Element name is nil";                  break;
         case D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_IS_NIL:          codeText = @"Attribute is nil";                     break;
         case D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_NAME_IS_NIL:     codeText = @"Attribute name is nil";                break;
+        case D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_IS_NIL:    codeText = @"Attribute value is nil";               break;
         case D_TBXML_ELEMENT_TEXT_IS_NIL:       codeText = @"Element text is nil";                  break;
         case D_TBXML_PARAM_NAME_IS_NIL:         codeText = @"Parameter name is nil";                break;
         case D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_FOUND:       codeText = @"Attribute not found";                  break;
diff --git a/TBXML-Headers/TBXML.h b/TBXML-Headers/TBXML.h
index 36a0f67..ce4acb4 100644
--- a/TBXML-Headers/TBXML.h
+++ b/TBXML-Headers/TBXML.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ enum TBXMLErrorCodes {
     D_TBXML_ELEMENT_TEXT_IS_NIL,
     D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_IS_NIL,
     D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_NAME_IS_NIL,
+    D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_IS_NIL,
     D_TBXML_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_FOUND,
     D_TBXML_PARAM_NAME_IS_NIL
 };
@@ -170,8 +171,8 @@ typedef void (^TBXMLIterateAttributeBlock)(TBXMLAttribute *attribute, NSString *
 - (id)initWithXMLFile:(NSString*)aXMLFile fileExtension:(NSString*)aFileExtension __attribute__((deprecated));
 
 
-- (int) decodeData:(NSData*)data;
-- (int) decodeData:(NSData*)data withError:(NSError **)error;
+- (NSInteger) decodeData:(NSData*)data;
+- (NSInteger) decodeData:(NSData*)data withError:(NSError **)error;
 
 @end