diff --git a/modules/c++/xml.lite/include/xml/lite/Element.h b/modules/c++/xml.lite/include/xml/lite/Element.h
index 866c8d2f3..0e5020009 100644
--- a/modules/c++/xml.lite/include/xml/lite/Element.h
+++ b/modules/c++/xml.lite/include/xml/lite/Element.h
@@ -459,6 +459,36 @@ class Element
         void depthPrint(io::OutputStream& stream, const string_encoding*, int depth,
                 const std::string& formatter) const;
 };
+
+/*!
+ *  Returns the character data of this element converted to the specified type.
+ *  \param value the charater data as T
+ *  \return whether or not there was a value of type T
+ */
+template<typename T>
+inline bool getValue(const Element& element, T& value)
+{
+    const auto characterData = element.getCharacterData();
+    if (characterData.empty())
+    {
+        return false; // call getCharacterData() to get an empty string
+    }
+
+    value = str::toType<T>(characterData);
+    return true;
+}
+
+
+/*!
+ *  Sets the character data for this element by calling str::toString() on the value.
+ *  \param value The data to add to this element
+ */
+template <typename T>
+inline void setValue(Element& element, const T& value)
+{
+    element.setCharacterData(str::toString(value));
+}
+
 }
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/c++/xml.lite/unittests/test_xmlelement.cpp b/modules/c++/xml.lite/unittests/test_xmlelement.cpp
index 18fc1cc93..bac285882 100644
--- a/modules/c++/xml.lite/unittests/test_xmlelement.cpp
+++ b/modules/c++/xml.lite/unittests/test_xmlelement.cpp
@@ -27,8 +27,19 @@
 
 #include "xml/lite/MinidomParser.h"
 
-static const std::string text("TEXT");
-static const std::string strXml = "<root><doc><a>" + text + "</a><b/><b/></doc></root>";
+static const std::string text = "TEXT";
+static const std::string strXml1_ = R"(
+<root>
+    <doc name="doc">
+        <a a="a">)";
+static const std::string strXml2_ = R"(</a><b/><b/>
+        <values int="314" double="3.14" string="314"/>
+        <int>314</int>
+        <double>3.14</double>
+        <string>314</string>
+    </doc>
+</root>)";
+static const auto strXml = strXml1_ + text + strXml2_;
 
 struct test_MinidomParser final
 {
@@ -161,6 +172,65 @@ TEST_CASE(test_getElementByTagName_b)
     TEST_SPECIFIC_EXCEPTION(doc.getElementByTagName("b"), xml::lite::XMLException);
 }
 
+TEST_CASE(test_getValue)
+{
+    test_MinidomParser xmlParser;
+    const auto root = xmlParser.getRootElement();
+
+    {
+        const auto& e = root->getElementByTagName("int", true /*recurse*/);
+        int value;
+        const auto result = getValue(e, value);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(result);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQ(314, value);
+    }
+    {
+        const auto& e = root->getElementByTagName("double", true /*recurse*/);
+        double value;
+        const auto result = getValue(e, value);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(result);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQ(3.14, value);
+    }
+    {
+        const auto& e = root->getElementByTagName("string", true /*recurse*/);
+        std::string value;
+        const auto result = getValue(e, value);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(result);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQ("314", value);
+    }
+}
+
+TEST_CASE(test_setValue)
+{
+    test_MinidomParser xmlParser;
+    auto root = xmlParser.getRootElement();
+
+    {
+        auto& e = root->getElementByTagName("int", true /*recurse*/);
+        setValue(e, 123);
+        int value;
+        const auto result = getValue(e, value);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(result);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQ(123, value);
+    }
+    {
+        auto& e = root->getElementByTagName("double", true /*recurse*/);
+        setValue(e, 1.23);
+        double value;
+        const auto result = getValue(e, value);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(result);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQ(1.23, value);
+    }
+    {
+        auto& e = root->getElementByTagName("string", true /*recurse*/);
+        setValue(e, "123");
+        std::string value;
+        const auto result = getValue(e, value);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(result);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQ("123", value);
+    }
+}
+
 int main(int, char**)
 {
     TEST_CHECK(test_getRootElement);
@@ -169,4 +239,7 @@ int main(int, char**)
     TEST_CHECK(test_getElementByTagName);
     TEST_CHECK(test_getElementByTagName_nothrow);
     TEST_CHECK(test_getElementByTagName_b);
+
+    TEST_CHECK(test_getValue);
+    TEST_CHECK(test_setValue);
 }