diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index e1e127f..84cabbd 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 /README -text
 /autogen.sh -text
 /config.guess -text
-/config.h.in -text
 /config.sub -text
 /configure.ac -text
 /depcomp -text
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
deleted file mode 100755
index 558ea81..0000000
--- a/config.h.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-/* config.h.in.  Generated from configure.ac by autoheader.  */
-
-/* "" */
-#undef MY_BUILD_CPU
-
-/* "" */
-#undef MY_BUILD_OS
-
-/* "" */
-#undef MY_BUILD_VENDOR
-
-/* "" */
-#undef MY_GNUNAME
-
-/* "" */
-#undef MY_UNAME
-
-/* Name of package */
-#undef PACKAGE
-
-/* Define to the address where bug reports for this package should be sent. */
-#undef PACKAGE_BUGREPORT
-
-/* Define to the full name of this package. */
-#undef PACKAGE_NAME
-
-/* Define to the full name and version of this package. */
-#undef PACKAGE_STRING
-
-/* Define to the one symbol short name of this package. */
-#undef PACKAGE_TARNAME
-
-/* Define to the version of this package. */
-#undef PACKAGE_VERSION
-
-/* Version number of package */
-#undef VERSION
-
-/* Define to 1 if on AIX 3.
-   System headers sometimes define this.
-   We just want to avoid a redefinition error message.  */
-#ifndef _ALL_SOURCE
-# undef _ALL_SOURCE
-#endif
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8f03407..106fc32 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(
 	[Compile with debug support [default=no]])],
 	[USE_DEBUG=$enableval])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(
+	[shared],
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-shared],
+	[Compile with shared library support [default=no]])],
+	[USE_SHARED=$enableval])
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(
 	[64],
 	[AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-64],
@@ -227,6 +233,17 @@ else
     AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
 fi
 
+# shared library
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if shared libraries are enabled])
+
+if test "X$USE_SHARED" = "Xyes"; then
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fPIC"
+    FFLAGS="$FFLAGS -fPIC"
+else
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+fi
+
 ###################### 64-bit compilation enabled #############################
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([if 64-bit compilation is enabled])
 
diff --git a/doc/Doxyfile b/doc/Doxyfile
index 554de61..4f55e5b 100644
--- a/doc/Doxyfile
+++ b/doc/Doxyfile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Project related configuration options
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 PROJECT_NAME           = H5Part
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 1.3.3
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 1.5
 OUTPUT_DIRECTORY       = ./ReferencePages
 CREATE_SUBDIRS         = NO
 OUTPUT_LANGUAGE        = English
diff --git a/src/H5Part.c b/src/H5Part.c
index a444b8f..e83343b 100644
--- a/src/H5Part.c
+++ b/src/H5Part.c
@@ -1226,10 +1226,6 @@ H5PartWriteFileAttribString (
 
   Writes a string attribute bound to the current time-step.
 
-  This function creates a new attribute \c name with the string \c value as
-  content. The attribute is bound to the current time step in the file given
-  by the file handle \c f.
-
   If the attribute already exists an error will be returned. There
   is currently no way to change the content of an existing attribute.
 
@@ -1239,8 +1235,8 @@ H5PartWriteFileAttribString (
 h5part_int64_t
 H5PartWriteStepAttribString (
 	H5PartFile *f,		/*!< [in] Handle to open file */
-	const char *attrib_name,/*!< [in] Name of attribute to create */
-	const char *attrib_value/*!< [in] Value of attribute */ 
+	const char *name,	/*!< [in] Name of attribute to create */
+	const char *value	/*!< [in] Value of attribute */ 
 	) {
 
 	SET_FNAME ( "H5PartWriteStepAttribString" );
@@ -1251,10 +1247,80 @@ H5PartWriteStepAttribString (
 
 	h5part_int64_t herr = _H5Part_write_attrib (
 		f->timegroup,
-		attrib_name,
+		name,
 		H5T_NATIVE_CHAR,
-		attrib_value,
-		strlen ( attrib_value ) + 1 );
+		value,
+		strlen ( value ) + 1 );
+	if ( herr < 0 ) return herr;
+
+	return H5PART_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/*!
+  \ingroup h5part_attrib
+
+  Writes an int32 attribute bound to the current time-step.
+
+  If the attribute already exists an error will be returned. There
+  is currently no way to change the content of an existing attribute.
+
+  \return	\c H5PART_SUCCESS or error code   
+*/
+
+h5part_int64_t
+H5PartWriteStepAttribInt32 (
+	H5PartFile *f,			/*!< [in] Handle to open file */
+	const char *name,		/*!< [in] Name of attribute to create */
+	const h5part_int32_t value	/*!< [in] Value of attribute */ 
+	) {
+
+	SET_FNAME ( "H5PartWriteStepAttribInt32" );
+
+	CHECK_FILEHANDLE ( f );
+	CHECK_WRITABLE_MODE( f );
+	CHECK_TIMEGROUP( f );
+
+	h5part_int64_t herr = _H5Part_write_attrib (
+		f->timegroup,
+		name,
+		H5T_NATIVE_INT32,
+		&value,
+		1 );
+	if ( herr < 0 ) return herr;
+
+	return H5PART_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/*!
+  \ingroup h5part_attrib
+
+  Writes a float32 attribute bound to the current time-step.
+
+  If the attribute already exists an error will be returned. There
+  is currently no way to change the content of an existing attribute.
+
+  \return	\c H5PART_SUCCESS or error code   
+*/
+
+h5part_int64_t
+H5PartWriteStepAttribFloat32 (
+	H5PartFile *f,			/*!< [in] Handle to open file */
+	const char *name,		/*!< [in] Name of attribute to create */
+	const h5part_float32_t value	/*!< [in] Value of attribute */ 
+	) {
+
+	SET_FNAME ( "H5PartWriteStepAttribFloat32" );
+
+	CHECK_FILEHANDLE ( f );
+	CHECK_WRITABLE_MODE( f );
+	CHECK_TIMEGROUP( f );
+
+	h5part_int64_t herr = _H5Part_write_attrib (
+		f->timegroup,
+		name,
+		H5T_NATIVE_FLOAT,
+		&value,
+		1 );
 	if ( herr < 0 ) return herr;
 
 	return H5PART_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/src/H5Part.h b/src/H5Part.h
index 65a5a19..9fb6ed0 100644
--- a/src/H5Part.h
+++ b/src/H5Part.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 /* data types */
 #define H5PART_INT64		((h5part_int64_t)H5T_NATIVE_INT64)
+#define H5PART_INT32		((h5part_int64_t)H5T_NATIVE_INT32) 
 #define H5PART_FLOAT64		((h5part_int64_t)H5T_NATIVE_DOUBLE)
 #define H5PART_FLOAT32		((h5part_int64_t)H5T_NATIVE_FLOAT)
 #define H5PART_CHAR		((h5part_int64_t)H5T_NATIVE_CHAR)
@@ -286,14 +287,28 @@ h5part_int64_t
 H5PartWriteFileAttribString (
 	H5PartFile *f,
 	const char *name,
-	const char *attrib
+	const char *value
 	);
 
 h5part_int64_t
 H5PartWriteStepAttribString ( 
 	H5PartFile *f,
 	const char *name,
-	const char *attrib
+	const char *value
+	);
+
+h5part_int64_t
+H5PartWriteStepAttribInt32 ( 
+	H5PartFile *f,
+	const char *name,
+	const h5part_int32_t value
+	);
+
+h5part_int64_t
+H5PartWriteStepAttribFloat32 ( 
+	H5PartFile *f,
+	const char *name,
+	const h5part_float32_t value
 	);
 
 h5part_int64_t
@@ -330,14 +345,14 @@ h5part_int64_t
 H5PartReadStepAttrib (
 	H5PartFile *f,
 	const char *name,
-	void *data
+	void *value
 	);
 
 h5part_int64_t
 H5PartReadFileAttrib (
 	H5PartFile *f,
 	const char *name,
-	void *data
+	void *value
 	);
 
 h5part_int64_t