diff --git a/pdbApp/pvif.cpp b/pdbApp/pvif.cpp
index d3749ac..ea31192 100644
--- a/pdbApp/pvif.cpp
+++ b/pdbApp/pvif.cpp
@@ -640,15 +640,9 @@ PVIFBuilder::PVIFBuilder()
 PVIFBuilder::~PVIFBuilder() {}
 
 
-PVIFBuilder* PVIFBuilder::create(const options_t& options)
+PVIFBuilder* PVIFBuilder::create(const std::string& type)
 {
-    options_t::const_iterator it;
-
-    if((it = options.find("@type"))==options.end())
-        throw std::runtime_error("Field mapping missing required key \"@type\"");
-    const std::string& type(it->second.ref<std::string>());
-
-    if(type=="scalar")
+    if(type.empty() || type=="scalar")
         return new ScalarBuilder;
     else if(type=="plain")
         return new PlainBuilder;
diff --git a/pdbApp/pvif.h b/pdbApp/pvif.h
index 2ec3325..ef408c9 100644
--- a/pdbApp/pvif.h
+++ b/pdbApp/pvif.h
@@ -287,9 +287,7 @@ struct epicsShareClass PVIFBuilder {
     // need not be the root structure
     virtual PVIF* attach(dbChannel *channel, const epics::pvData::PVFieldPtr& root) =0;
 
-    typedef std::map<std::string, AnyScalar> options_t;
-
-    static PVIFBuilder* create(const options_t& options);
+    static PVIFBuilder* create(const std::string& name);
 protected:
     PVIFBuilder();
 private:
diff --git a/testApp/testpvif.cpp b/testApp/testpvif.cpp
index 378d618..e5aeb3c 100644
--- a/testApp/testpvif.cpp
+++ b/testApp/testpvif.cpp
@@ -230,9 +230,7 @@ void testPlain()
 
     p2p::auto_ptr<PVIFBuilder> builder;
     {
-        PVIFBuilder::options_t opts;
-        opts["@type"] = "plain";
-        builder.reset(PVIFBuilder::create(opts));
+        builder.reset(PVIFBuilder::create("plain"));
     }
 
     pvd::FieldConstPtr dtype_li(builder->dtype(chan_li));