diff --git a/include/psyc.h b/include/psyc.h
index 5c3076d..1a3506a 100644
--- a/include/psyc.h
+++ b/include/psyc.h
@@ -94,6 +94,14 @@ typedef enum {
     PSYC_LIST_BINARY = 2,
 } PsycListType;
 
+typedef enum PsycMessageFlag {
+    PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE	= 1 << 0,
+    PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY		= 1 << 1,
+    PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE	= 1 << 2,
+    PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE	= 1 << 3,
+    PSYC_MESSAGE_MANUAL		= 1 << 4,
+} PsycMessageFlag;
+
 /**
  * String struct.
  *
diff --git a/include/psyc/packet.h b/include/psyc/packet.h
index 8dc92db..1b81cff 100644
--- a/include/psyc/packet.h
+++ b/include/psyc/packet.h
@@ -67,6 +67,21 @@ typedef enum {
     PSYC_STATE_RESYNC = '?',
 } PsycStateOp;
 
+typedef enum PsycMethod {
+    PSYC_METHOD_UNKNOWN,
+    PSYC_METHOD_DATA,
+    PSYC_METHOD_ECHO,
+    PSYC_METHOD_ERROR,
+    PSYC_METHOD_FAILURE,
+    PSYC_METHOD_INFO,
+    PSYC_METHOD_MESSAGE,
+    PSYC_METHOD_MESSAGE_ECHO,
+    PSYC_METHOD_NOTICE,
+    PSYC_METHOD_REQUEST,
+    PSYC_METHOD_STATUS,
+    PSYC_METHOD_WARNING,
+} PsycMethod;
+
 /** Structure for a modifier. */
 typedef struct {
     char oper;
diff --git a/include/psyc/variable.h b/include/psyc/variable.h
index 957698e..fb9ce67 100644
--- a/include/psyc/variable.h
+++ b/include/psyc/variable.h
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-#ifndef PSYC_VARIABLE_H
-#define PSYC_VARIABLE_H
-
 /**
  * @file psyc/variable.h
  */
 
+#ifndef PSYC_VARIABLE_H
+#define PSYC_VARIABLE_H
+
+#include "packet.h"
+
 /// Routing variables in alphabetical order.
 extern const PsycString psyc_routing_vars[];
 
@@ -36,4 +38,7 @@ psyc_var_is_list (const char *name, size_t len)
 	? PSYC_FALSE : PSYC_TRUE;
 }
 
+PsycMethod
+psyc_method_family (char *method, size_t methodlen, unsigned int *flag);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/variable.c b/src/variable.c
index 396dc39..e202757 100644
--- a/src/variable.c
+++ b/src/variable.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "lib.h"
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include <psyc/packet.h>
+
 
 /// Routing variables in alphabetical order.
 const PsycString psyc_routing_vars[] = {
@@ -44,8 +46,22 @@ const PsycDictInt psyc_var_types[] = {
     {PSYC_C2STRI("_uniform"), PSYC_TYPE_UNIFORM},
 };
 
+const PsycDictInt psyc_method_families[] = {
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_data"), PSYC_METHOD_DATA},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_echo"), PSYC_METHOD_ECHO},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_failure"), PSYC_METHOD_FAILURE},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_info"), PSYC_METHOD_INFO},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_message"), PSYC_METHOD_MESSAGE},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_message_echo"), PSYC_METHOD_MESSAGE_ECHO},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_notice"), PSYC_METHOD_NOTICE},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_request"), PSYC_METHOD_REQUEST},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_status"), PSYC_METHOD_STATUS},
+    {PSYC_C2STRI("_warning"), PSYC_METHOD_WARNING},
+};
+
 const size_t psyc_routing_vars_num = PSYC_NUM_ELEM(psyc_routing_vars);
 const size_t psyc_var_types_num = PSYC_NUM_ELEM(psyc_var_types);
+const size_t psyc_method_families_num = PSYC_NUM_ELEM(psyc_method_families);
 
 /**
  * Get the type of variable name.
@@ -97,3 +113,60 @@ psyc_var_type (const char *name, size_t len)
 				       psyc_var_types_num, name, len, PSYC_YES,
 				       (int8_t *) &m);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Get the family and flags for a method.
+ */
+PsycMethod
+psyc_method_family (char *method, size_t methodlen, unsigned int *flag)
+{
+    int8_t tmp[PSYC_NUM_ELEM(psyc_method_families)];
+    int mc = psyc_dict_lookup_int(psyc_method_families, psyc_method_families_num,
+				  method, methodlen, PSYC_YES, tmp);
+
+    if (!flag)
+	return mc;
+
+    switch (mc) {
+    case PSYC_METHOD_DATA:
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_ECHO:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_ERROR:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE
+	    | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_FAILURE:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE
+	    | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_INFO:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE
+	    | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_MESSAGE:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE | PSYC_MESSAGE_MANUAL;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_MESSAGE_ECHO:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE
+	    | PSYC_MESSAGE_MANUAL;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_NOTICE:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_REQUEST:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_STATUS:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE
+	    | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    case PSYC_METHOD_WARNING:
+	*flag = PSYC_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE | PSYC_MESSAGE_REPLY | PSYC_MESSAGE_VISIBLE
+	    | PSYC_MESSAGE_LOGGABLE;
+	break;
+    }
+
+    return mc;
+}