diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d63743e..fdbb453 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ documentation = "http://ironframework.io/doc/urlencoded/"
 description = "Decoding middleware for url-encoded data. For use with Iron."
 license = "MIT"
 
+[lib]
+name = "urlencoded"
+doctest = false
+
 [dependencies]
 iron = "*"
 url = "*"
diff --git a/examples/helpers.rs b/examples/helpers.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3eb022
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/helpers.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+//! This example uses helper functions instead of direct interface.
+//!
+//! It cannot differentiate between a single and repeated parameter and will
+//! fail with 400 as soon as either the body or the required parameter are not
+//! provided.
+
+extern crate iron;
+extern crate urlencoded;
+
+use iron::prelude::*;
+use iron::status;
+use urlencoded::helpers::{require_body_params, require_parameter};
+
+fn log_post_data(req: &mut Request) -> IronResult<Response> {
+    let hashmap = try!(require_body_params(req));
+    let name = try!(require_parameter(&hashmap, "name"));
+
+    Ok(Response::with((status::Ok, format!("Hello {}", name))))
+}
+
+// Test with `curl -i -X POST "http://localhost:3000/" --data "name=world"`
+fn main() {
+    Iron::new(log_post_data).http("127.0.0.1:3000").unwrap();
+}
diff --git a/src/helpers.rs b/src/helpers.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f844b3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+//! Helpers for the urlencoded module
+//!
+//! Provides one liners for the common usage of urlencoded
+
+use ::iron::prelude::*;
+use ::iron::status;
+use ::std::fmt::{Display,Formatter};
+use ::std::fmt::Error as FmtError;
+use ::std::error::Error as StdError;
+use super::{UrlEncodedBody,UrlEncodedQuery,QueryMap};
+
+/// Error returned when the requested parameter is missing
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct MissingParamError {
+    name: String
+}
+
+impl StdError for MissingParamError {
+    fn description(&self) -> &str {
+        "Missing parameter"
+    }
+}
+
+impl Display for MissingParamError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter) -> Result<(), FmtError> {
+        write!(f, "Missing parameter {}", self.name)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Returns the parameters hashmap constructed from the request body
+///
+/// # Examples
+/// ```
+/// fn request_handler(req: &mut Request) => IronResult<Response> {
+///     let params = try!(require_body_params(req));
+/// ```
+pub fn require_body_params(req: &mut Request) -> IronResult<QueryMap> {
+    req.get::<UrlEncodedBody>()
+        .map_err(|err| IronError::new(err, status::BadRequest))
+}
+
+/// Returns the parameters hashmap constructed from the request query
+///
+/// # Examples
+/// ```
+/// fn request_handler(req: &mut Request) => IronResult<Response> {
+///     let params = try!(require_query_params(req));
+/// 
+/// ```
+pub fn require_query_params(req: &mut Request) -> IronResult<QueryMap> {
+    req.get::<UrlEncodedQuery>()
+        .map_err(|err| IronError::new(err, status::BadRequest))
+}
+
+/// Returns the first parameter for a given parameter name, or a `MissingParamError`
+///
+/// # Examples
+/// ```
+/// fn request_handler(req: &mut Request) => IronResult<Response> {
+///     let params = try!(require_body_params(req));
+///     let search = try!(require_parameter(&params, "search"));
+/// 
+/// ```
+pub fn require_parameter<'a, T: Into<String>>(hashmap: &'a QueryMap, name: T) -> IronResult<&'a String> {
+    let name_val = name.into();
+    hashmap.get(&name_val)
+        .and_then(|vals| vals.first())
+        .ok_or(IronError::new(MissingParamError { name: name_val }, status::BadRequest))
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_require_single() {
+    let mut hash = QueryMap::new();
+    hash.insert("var".to_string(), vec!["value".to_string()]);
+    let val = require_parameter(&hash, "var").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(val, "value");
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 70153b1..279dfa1 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ use std::collections::hash_map::Entry::*;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::error::Error as StdError;
 
+pub mod helpers;
+
 /// Plugin for `Request` that extracts URL encoded data from the URL query string.
 ///
 /// Use it like this: `req.get_ref::<UrlEncodedQuery>()`