diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/bitSet.h b/pvDataApp/misc/bitSet.h
index 3dbc3a1..25253d8 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/bitSet.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/bitSet.h
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@ namespace epics { namespace pvData {
      */
     class BitSet : public Serializable {
     public:
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<BitSet> shared_pointer;
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const BitSet> const_shared_pointer;
-
+        POINTER_DEFINITIONS(BitSet);
         /**
          * Creates a new bit set. All bits are initially {@code false}.
          */
diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/destroyable.h b/pvDataApp/misc/destroyable.h
index 6858770..a789319 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/destroyable.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/destroyable.h
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ namespace epics { namespace pvData {
          */
         class Destroyable  {
             public:
-            typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Destroyable> shared_pointer;
-            typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Destroyable> const_shared_pointer;
+            POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Destroyable);
             /**
              * Destroy this instance.
              */
diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/requester.h b/pvDataApp/misc/requester.h
index 9668866..d36a432 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/requester.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/requester.h
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ extern StringArray messageTypeName;
 
 class Requester {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Requester> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Requester> const_shared_pointer;
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Requester);
 
     virtual ~Requester(){}
     virtual String getRequesterName() = 0;
diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/sharedPtr.h b/pvDataApp/misc/sharedPtr.h
index a4702b6..9799f30 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/sharedPtr.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/sharedPtr.h
@@ -58,4 +58,10 @@
 #  undef SHARED_FROM_BOOST
 #endif
 
+#define POINTER_DEFINITIONS(clazz) \
+    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<clazz> shared_pointer; \
+    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const clazz> const_shared_pointer; \
+    typedef std::tr1::weak_ptr<clazz> weak_pointer; \
+    typedef std::tr1::weak_ptr<const clazz> const_weak_pointer;
+
 #endif // SHAREDPTR_H
diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/timer.h b/pvDataApp/misc/timer.h
index f4bda13..adce64e 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/timer.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/timer.h
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ private:
 
 class Timer : private NoDefaultMethods {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Timer> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Timer> const_shared_pointer;
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Timer);
 
     Timer(String threadName, ThreadPriority priority);
     ~Timer();
diff --git a/pvDataApp/monitor/monitor.h b/pvDataApp/monitor/monitor.h
index 711b4f0..609626b 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/monitor/monitor.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/monitor/monitor.h
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ namespace epics { namespace pvData {
      */
     class MonitorElement {
         public:
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<MonitorElement> shared_pointer;
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const MonitorElement> const_shared_pointer;
-
+        POINTER_DEFINITIONS(MonitorElement);
         /**
          * Get the PVStructure.
          * @return The PVStructure.
@@ -48,9 +46,7 @@ namespace epics { namespace pvData {
      */
     class Monitor : public Destroyable, private NoDefaultMethods {
         public:
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Monitor> shared_pointer;
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Monitor> const_shared_pointer;
-
+        POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Monitor);
         /**
          * Start monitoring.
          * @return completion status.
@@ -81,9 +77,7 @@ namespace epics { namespace pvData {
      */
     class MonitorRequester : public virtual Requester {
         public:
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<MonitorRequester> shared_pointer;
-        typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const MonitorRequester> const_shared_pointer;
-
+        POINTER_DEFINITIONS(MonitorRequester);
         /**
          * The client and server have both completed the createMonitor request.
          * @param status Completion status.
diff --git a/pvDataApp/pv/pvData.h b/pvDataApp/pv/pvData.h
index 5d63128..82a801d 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/pv/pvData.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/pv/pvData.h
@@ -61,9 +61,7 @@ class PVField
   private NoDefaultMethods
 {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVField> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVField> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVField);
     virtual ~PVField();
     virtual void message(String message,MessageType messageType) ;
     virtual void setRequester(Requester *prequester);
@@ -95,9 +93,7 @@ private:
 
 class PVScalar : public PVField {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVScalar> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVScalar> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVScalar);
     virtual ~PVScalar();
     ScalarConstPtr getScalar() ;
 protected:
@@ -107,9 +103,7 @@ protected:
 template<typename T>
 class PVScalarValue : public PVScalar {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVScalarValue> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVScalarValue> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVScalarValue);
     typedef T value_type;
     typedef T* pointer;
     typedef const T* const_pointer;
@@ -143,9 +137,7 @@ protected:
 
 class PVArray : public PVField, public SerializableArray {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVArray> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVArray> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVArray);
     virtual ~PVArray();
     int getLength() const;
     void setLength(int length);
@@ -164,9 +156,7 @@ private:
 template<typename T>
 class PVArrayData {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVArrayData> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVArrayData> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVArrayData);
     typedef T  value_type;
     typedef T* pointer;
     typedef const T* const_pointer;
@@ -178,9 +168,7 @@ public:
 
 class PVScalarArray : public PVArray {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVScalarArray> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVScalarArray> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVScalarArray);
     virtual ~PVScalarArray();
     ScalarArrayConstPtr getScalarArray() ;
 
@@ -193,9 +181,7 @@ typedef PVArrayData<PVStructurePtr> StructureArrayData;
 
 class PVStructureArray : public PVArray {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVStructureArray> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVStructureArray> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVStructureArray);
     virtual ~PVStructureArray() {}
     virtual StructureArrayConstPtr getStructureArray() = 0;
     virtual int append(int number) = 0;
@@ -216,9 +202,7 @@ private:
 
 class PVStructure : public PVField,public BitSetSerializable {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVStructure> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVStructure> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVStructure);
     virtual ~PVStructure();
     StructureConstPtr getStructure();
     PVFieldPtrArray getPVFields();
@@ -263,9 +247,7 @@ private:
 template<typename T>
 class PVValueArray : public PVScalarArray {
 public:
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<PVValueArray> shared_pointer;
-    typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const PVValueArray> const_shared_pointer;
-
+    POINTER_DEFINITIONS(PVValueArray);
     typedef T  value_type;
     typedef T* pointer;
     typedef const T* const_pointer;
diff --git a/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h b/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h
index 034ff61..a6873b9 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h
@@ -61,9 +61,7 @@ namespace ScalarTypeFunc {
 
 class Field :  public std::tr1::enable_shared_from_this<Field> {
 public:
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Field> shared_pointer;
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Field> const_shared_pointer;
-
+   POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Field);
    String getFieldName() const{return m_fieldName;}
    Type getType() const{return m_type;}
    virtual void toString(StringBuilder buf) const{toString(buf,0);}
@@ -89,8 +87,7 @@ private:
 
 class Scalar : public Field{
 public:
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Scalar> shared_pointer;
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Scalar> const_shared_pointer;
+   POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Scalar);
    typedef Scalar& reference;
    typedef const Scalar& const_reference;
 
@@ -107,8 +104,7 @@ private:
 
 class ScalarArray : public Field{
 public:
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<ScalarArray> shared_pointer;
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const ScalarArray> const_shared_pointer;
+   POINTER_DEFINITIONS(ScalarArray);
    typedef ScalarArray& reference;
    typedef const ScalarArray& const_reference;
 
@@ -125,8 +121,7 @@ private:
 
 class StructureArray : public Field{
 public:
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<StructureArray> shared_pointer;
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const StructureArray> const_shared_pointer;
+   POINTER_DEFINITIONS(StructureArray);
    typedef StructureArray& reference;
    typedef const StructureArray& const_reference;
 
@@ -144,8 +139,7 @@ private:
 
 class Structure : public Field {
 public:
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<Structure> shared_pointer;
-   typedef std::tr1::shared_ptr<const Structure> const_shared_pointer;
+   POINTER_DEFINITIONS(Structure);
    typedef Structure& reference;
    typedef const Structure& const_reference;