diff --git a/src/abg-ir.cc b/src/abg-ir.cc
index 352d97fd..d0768c38 100644
--- a/src/abg-ir.cc
+++ b/src/abg-ir.cc
@@ -392,18 +392,103 @@ is_global_scope(const scope_decl* scope)
   return !!dynamic_cast<const global_scope*>(scope);
 }
 
-/// Tests wether if a given decl is at global scope.
+/// Tests whether a given decl is at global scope.
 ///
 /// \param decl the decl to consider.
 ///
 /// \return true iff #decl is at global scope.
 bool
-is_decl_at_global_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+is_at_global_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
 {
-  if (!decl)
-    return false;
+  return (decl && is_global_scope(decl->get_scope()));
+}
 
-  return is_global_scope(decl->get_scope());
+/// Tests whether a given decl is at class scope.
+///
+/// \param the decl to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff #decl is at class scope.
+bool
+is_at_class_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return (decl && dynamic_cast<class_decl*>(decl->get_scope()));
+}
+
+/// Tests whether a given decl is at template scope.
+///
+/// Note that only template parameters , types that are compositions,
+/// and template patterns (function or class) can be at template scope.
+///
+/// \param the decl to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff the decl is at template scope.
+bool
+is_at_template_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return (decl && dynamic_cast<template_decl*>(decl->get_scope()));
+}
+
+/// Tests whether a decl is a template parameter.
+///
+/// \param the decl to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff #decl is a template parameter.
+bool
+is_template_parameter(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return (decl && (dynamic_pointer_cast<template_type_parameter>(decl)
+		   || dynamic_pointer_cast<template_non_type_parameter>(decl)
+		   || dynamic_pointer_cast<template_template_parameter>(decl)));
+}
+
+/// Tests whether a declaration is a type.
+///
+/// \param decl the decl to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff #decl is a type.
+bool
+is_type(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return decl && dynamic_pointer_cast<type_base>(decl);
+}
+
+/// Tests whether a decl is a template parameter composition type.
+///
+/// \param decl the declaration to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff #decl is a template parameter composition type.
+bool
+is_template_parm_composition_type(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return (decl
+	  && is_at_template_scope(decl)
+	  && is_type(decl)
+	  && !is_template_parameter(decl));
+}
+
+/// Test whether a decl is the pattern of a function template.
+///
+/// \param decl the decl to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff #decl is the pattern of a function template.
+bool
+is_function_template_pattern(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return (decl
+	  && dynamic_pointer_cast<function_decl>(decl)
+	  && dynamic_cast<template_decl*>(decl->get_scope()));
+}
+
+/// Tests whether a decl is a template.
+///
+/// \param decl the decl to consider.
+///
+/// \return true iff #decl is a function template, class template, or
+/// template template parameter.
+bool
+is_template_decl(const shared_ptr<decl_base> decl)
+{
+  return decl && dynamic_pointer_cast<template_decl>(decl);
 }
 
 // </scope_decl definition>
diff --git a/src/abg-ir.h b/src/abg-ir.h
index 52e2f8fb..dedb31b9 100644
--- a/src/abg-ir.h
+++ b/src/abg-ir.h
@@ -64,7 +64,21 @@ bool is_global_scope(const scope_decl*);
 
 bool is_global_scope(const shared_ptr<scope_decl>);
 
-bool is_decl_at_global_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+bool is_at_global_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_at_class_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_at_template_scope(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_template_parameter(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_type(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_template_parm_composition_type(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_template_decl(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
+
+bool is_function_template_pattern(const shared_ptr<decl_base>);
 
 /// \brief The source location of a token.
 ///
diff --git a/src/abg-reader.cc b/src/abg-reader.cc
index 9eda22d6..ced42a3e 100644
--- a/src/abg-reader.cc
+++ b/src/abg-reader.cc
@@ -486,9 +486,7 @@ update_depth_info_of_read_context(read_context& ctxt, int new_depth)
 	  /// OK, this is a hack needed because the libxml reader
 	  /// interface doesn't provide us with a reliable way to know
 	  /// when we read the end of an XML element.
-	  if (d
-	      && dynamic_cast<class_decl*>(d->get_scope())
-	      && nb > 2)
+	  if (is_at_class_scope(d) && nb > 2)
 	    // This means we logically poped out at least a member of
 	    // a class (i.e, during the xml parsing, we went up so
 	    // that we got out of an e.g, member-type, data-member or