diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/cdi/model/ICDIValue.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/cdi/model/ICDIValue.java
index 99addc27e30..604ceff2e7d 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/cdi/model/ICDIValue.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/cdi/model/ICDIValue.java
@@ -32,7 +32,12 @@ public interface ICDIValue extends ICDIObject
 	 * @throws CDIException if this method fails.  Reasons include:
 	 */
 	String getValueString() throws CDIException;
-		
+	
+	/**
+	 * @return true if value is a container like structure.
+	 */
+	boolean hasChildren() throws CDIException;
+	
 	/**
 	 * Returns the variables in this value. An empty collection 
 	 * is returned if there are no variables.
diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/Value.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/Value.java
index 5f6dc4e69af..a9f983429de 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/Value.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/cdi/Value.java
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.MIException;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.MISession;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.command.CommandFactory;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.command.MIVarEvaluateExpression;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.command.MIVarInfoNumChildren;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.command.MIVarListChildren;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIVar;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIVarEvaluateExpressionInfo;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIVarListChildrenInfo;
 
 /**
@@ -62,7 +64,29 @@ public class Value extends CObject implements ICDIValue {
 		}
 		return result;
 	}
-
+	
+	/**
+	 * @see org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core.cdi.model.ICDIValue#getVariables()
+	 */
+	public boolean hasChildren() throws CDIException {
+		int number = 0;
+		MISession mi = getCTarget().getCSession().getMISession();
+		CommandFactory factory = mi.getCommandFactory();
+		MIVarInfoNumChildren children = 
+			factory.createMIVarInfoNumChildren(variable.getMIVar().getVarName());
+		try {
+			mi.postCommand(children);
+			MIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo info = children.getMIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo();
+			if (info == null) {
+				throw new CDIException("No answer");
+			}
+			number = info.getChildNumber();
+		} catch (MIException e) {
+			throw new CDIException(e.getMessage());
+		}
+		return (number > 0);
+		
+	}
 	/**
 	 * @see org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core.cdi.model.ICDIValue#getVariables()
 	 */
diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/command/MIVarInfoNumChildren.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/command/MIVarInfoNumChildren.java
index 1eeedef7f62..912d3579b1c 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/command/MIVarInfoNumChildren.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/mi/core/command/MIVarInfoNumChildren.java
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 
 package org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.command;
 
+import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.MIException;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIInfo;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIOutput;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.output.MIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo;
+
 /**
  * 
  *     -var-info-num-children NAME
@@ -20,4 +25,20 @@ public class MIVarInfoNumChildren extends MICommand
 	public MIVarInfoNumChildren(String name) {
 		super("-var-info-num-children", new String[]{name});
 	}
+
+	public MIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo getMIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo() throws MIException {
+		return (MIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo)getMIInfo();
+	}
+
+	public MIInfo getMIInfo() throws MIException {
+		MIInfo info = null;
+		MIOutput out = getMIOutput();
+		if (out != null) {
+			info = new MIVarInfoNumChildrenInfo(out);
+			if (info.isError()) {
+				throw new MIException(info.getErrorMsg());
+			}
+		}
+		return info;
+	}
 }