diff --git a/pvDataApp/factory/TypeFunc.cpp b/pvDataApp/factory/TypeFunc.cpp
index 68075b3..2685d3c 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/factory/TypeFunc.cpp
+++ b/pvDataApp/factory/TypeFunc.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,28 @@ namespace ScalarTypeFunc {
         *buf += name(scalarType);
     }
 
+    shared_vector<void> allocArray(ScalarType id, size_t len)
+    {
+        switch(id) {
+#define OP(ENUM, TYPE) case ENUM: return static_shared_vector_cast<TYPE>(shared_vector<TYPE>(len))
+        OP(pvBoolean, uint8);
+        OP(pvUByte, uint8);
+        OP(pvByte, int8);
+        OP(pvUShort, uint16);
+        OP(pvShort, int16);
+        OP(pvUInt, uint32);
+        OP(pvInt, int32);
+        OP(pvULong, uint64);
+        OP(pvLong, int64);
+        OP(pvFloat, float);
+        OP(pvDouble, double);
+        OP(pvString, String);
+#undef OP
+        default:
+            throw std::bad_alloc();
+        }
+    }
+
 } // namespace ScalarTypeFunc
 
 }}
diff --git a/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h b/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h
index 9f3179d..bedd97f 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/pv/pvIntrospect.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <pv/pvType.h>
 #include <pv/byteBuffer.h>
 #include <pv/serialize.h>
+#include <pv/sharedVector.h>
 
 namespace epics { namespace pvData { 
 
@@ -579,5 +580,21 @@ OP(pvDouble, double);
 OP(pvString, String);
 #undef OP
 
+
+namespace ScalarTypeFunc {
+    //! Allocate an untyped array based on ScalarType
+    shared_vector<void> allocArray(ScalarType id, size_t len);
+
+    //! Allocate an untyped array based on ScalarType
+    template<ScalarType ID>
+    inline
+    shared_vector<typename ScalarTypeTraits<ID>::type>
+    allocArray(size_t len)
+    {
+        shared_vector<void> raw(allocArray(ID, len));
+        return static_shared_vector_cast<typename ScalarTypeTraits<ID>::type>(raw);
+    }
+}
+
 }}
 #endif  /* PVINTROSPECT_H */