diff --git a/fst/_fst.pyx.tpl b/fst/_fst.pyx.tpl
index 41a5abd..4e8ef84 100644
--- a/fst/_fst.pyx.tpl
+++ b/fst/_fst.pyx.tpl
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
+# distutils: language = c++
+# distutils: extra_compile_args = -O2 -std=c++11
+
 cimport libfst
 cimport sym
 import subprocess
 import random
 import re
 
+from libcpp cimport bool as boolean
 from libcpp.vector cimport vector
 from libcpp.string cimport string
 from libcpp.pair cimport pair
@@ -88,6 +92,15 @@ cdef class SymbolTable:
         """table.write(filename): save the symbol table to filename"""
         self.table.Write(as_str(filename))
 
+    def to_bytes(self):
+        """table.to_bytes(): binary representation of the symbol table to a Python bytes object"""
+
+        cdef ostringstream out
+        result = self.table.WriteStream(out)
+        cdef bytes out_str = out.str()
+
+        return out_str
+
     def find(self, key):
         """table.find(int value) -> decoded symbol if any symbol maps to this value
         table.find(str symbol) -> encoded value if this symbol is in the table"""
@@ -442,12 +455,31 @@ cdef class {{fst}}(_Fst):
             self.fst.SetInputSymbols(self.isyms.table)
         if keep_osyms and self.osyms is not None:
             self.fst.SetOutputSymbols(self.osyms.table)
-        result = self.fst.Write(as_str(filename))
+        result = self.fst.Write(<string&>as_str(filename))
         # reset symbols:
         self.fst.SetInputSymbols(NULL)
         self.fst.SetOutputSymbols(NULL)
         return result
 
+    def to_bytes(self, keep_isyms=False, keep_osyms=False):
+        """fst.to_bytes(): return the binary representation of the transducer as a bytes objects"""
+        if keep_isyms and self.isyms is not None:
+            self.fst.SetInputSymbols(self.isyms.table)
+        if keep_osyms and self.osyms is not None:
+            self.fst.SetOutputSymbols(self.osyms.table)
+
+        cdef libfst.FstWriteOptions* options = new libfst.FstWriteOptions("<unspecifed>", True, keep_isyms, keep_osyms)
+        cdef ostringstream out
+        result = self.fst.WriteStream(out, options[0])
+        del options
+        cdef bytes out_str = out.str()
+
+        # reset symbols:
+        self.fst.SetInputSymbols(NULL)
+        self.fst.SetOutputSymbols(NULL)
+
+        return out_str
+
     property input_deterministic:
         def __get__(self):
             return bool(self.fst.Properties(libfst.kIDeterministic, True) &
@@ -593,12 +625,12 @@ cdef class {{fst}}(_Fst):
         dist = [{{weight}}(distances[i].Value()) for i in range(distances.size())]
         return dist
 
-    def shortest_path(self, unsigned n=1):
+    def shortest_path(self, unsigned n=1, bint unique=False, bint first_path=False):
         """fst.shortest_path(int n=1) -> transducer containing the n shortest paths"""
         if not isinstance(self, StdVectorFst):
             raise TypeError('Weight needs to have the path property and be right distributive')
         cdef {{fst}} result = {{fst}}(isyms=self.isyms, osyms=self.osyms)
-        libfst.ShortestPath(self.fst[0], result.fst, n)
+        libfst.ShortestPath(self.fst[0], result.fst, n, unique, first_path)
         return result
 
     def push(self, final=False, weights=False, labels=False):
diff --git a/fst/libfst.pxd.tpl b/fst/libfst.pxd.tpl
index 1ef1b34..0a30ec8 100644
--- a/fst/libfst.pxd.tpl
+++ b/fst/libfst.pxd.tpl
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# distutils: language = c++
+# distutils: libraries = fst
+# distutils: extra_compile_args = -O2 -std=c++11
+
 from libcpp.vector cimport vector
 from libcpp.string cimport string
 from libcpp.pair cimport pair
@@ -30,11 +34,15 @@ cdef extern from "<fst/fstlib.h>" namespace "fst":
         void Next()
         Arc& Value()
 
+    cdef cppclass FstWriteOptions:
+        FstWriteOptions(const string& src, bint hdr, bint isym, bint osym)
+
     cdef cppclass Fst:
         int Start()
         unsigned NumArcs(int s)
         Fst* Copy()
         bint Write(string& filename)
+        bint WriteStream "Write" (ostream& strm, const FstWriteOptions& opts)
         uint64_t Properties(uint64_t mask, bint compute)
 
     cdef cppclass ExpandedFst(Fst):
@@ -142,7 +150,7 @@ cdef extern from "<fst/fstlib.h>" namespace "fst":
     cdef void Difference(Fst &ifst1, Fst &ifst2, MutableFst* ofst)
     cdef void Intersect(Fst &ifst1, Fst &ifst2, MutableFst* ofst)
     cdef void Reverse(Fst &ifst, MutableFst* ofst)
-    cdef void ShortestPath(Fst &ifst, MutableFst* ofst, unsigned n)
+    cdef void ShortestPath(Fst &ifst, MutableFst* ofst, unsigned n, bint unique, bint first_path)
     cdef void ArcMap (Fst &ifst, MutableFst* ofst, ArcMapper mapper)
 {{#types}}
     cdef void ShortestDistance(Fst &fst, vector[{{weight}}]* distance, bint reverse)
diff --git a/fst/sym.pxd b/fst/sym.pxd
index 27c638f..96733d9 100644
--- a/fst/sym.pxd
+++ b/fst/sym.pxd
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from libcpp.string cimport string
-from util cimport istream
+from util cimport istream, ostream
 
 cdef extern from "<fst/symbol-table.h>" namespace "fst":    
     cdef cppclass SymbolTable:
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ cdef extern from "<fst/symbol-table.h>" namespace "fst":
         long AddSymbol(string &symbol)
         string& Name()
         bint Write(string &filename)
-        #WriteText (ostream &strm)
+        bint WriteStream "Write" (ostream &strm)
         string Find(long key)
         long Find(const char* symbol)
         unsigned NumSymbols()
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7d816de..f3428b5 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
+import glob
+import logging
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import os
+import distutils
+from distutils.cmd import Command
 from distutils.core import setup
 from distutils.extension import Extension
 
+import pystache
+import yaml
+from Cython.Build import cythonize
+
 INC, LIB = [], []
 
 # MacPorts
@@ -10,15 +19,67 @@
     INC.append('/opt/local/include')
     LIB.append('/opt/local/lib')
 
+# Homebrew
+if sys.platform == 'darwin' and os.path.isdir('/usr/local/lib'):
+    INC.append('/usr/local/include')
+    LIB.append('/usr/local/lib')
+
+
 ext_modules = [
     Extension(name='fst._fst',
-        sources=['fst/_fst.cpp'],
-        libraries=['fst'],
-        extra_compile_args=['-O2'],
-        include_dirs=INC,
-        library_dirs=LIB)
+              sources=['fst/_fst.pyx.tpl', 'fst/libfst.pxd.tpl', 'fst/types.yml'],
+              include_dirs=INC,
+              library_dirs=LIB)
 ]
 
+
+def pystache_render(template_filename, context_filenames, rendered_filename):
+    with open(rendered_filename, 'w') as rendered:
+        with open(template_filename) as template:
+            contexts = []
+            for context_filename in context_filenames:
+                with open(context_filename) as context:
+                    contexts += list(yaml.load_all(context))
+
+            rendered.write(pystache.render(template.read(), context=contexts[0]))
+
+
+def mustache_cmd_render(template_filename, context_filenames, rendered_filename, mustache_cmd='mustache'):
+    cmd = 'cat {yamls} | {mustache_cmd} - {template} > {rendered}'.format(yamls=' '.join(context_filenames),
+                                                                          template=template_filename,
+                                                                          rendered=rendered_filename,
+                                                                          mustache_cmd=mustache_cmd)
+    logging.info('Running command: %s' % str(cmd))
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd, shell=True)
+
+
+def mustachize(modules, mustache_command=''):
+    """Run command."""
+    for module in modules:
+        sources = module.sources
+
+        context_filenames = [source for source in sources if os.path.splitext(source)[-1] in {'.yml'}]
+        templates = [source for source in sources if os.path.splitext(source)[-1] in {'.tpl'}]
+        other = set(sources) - set(context_filenames) - set(templates)
+
+        new_sources = []
+        for template in templates:
+            rendered, new_ext = os.path.splitext(template)
+
+            if mustache_command:
+                mustache_cmd_render(template, context_filenames, rendered, mustache_cmd=mustache_command)
+            else:
+                pystache_render(template, context_filenames, rendered)
+
+            _, new_ext = os.path.splitext(rendered)
+            if new_ext in {'.pyx'}:
+                new_sources.append(rendered)
+
+        module.sources[:] = list(other) + new_sources
+
+    return modules
+
+
 long_description = """
 pyfst
 =====
@@ -59,5 +120,5 @@
                  'Intended Audience :: Education',
                  'Intended Audience :: Science/Research'],
     packages=['fst'],
-    ext_modules=ext_modules
+    ext_modules=cythonize(mustachize(ext_modules)),
 )