diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h b/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h
index f3d20511ad..7e08596be0 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public:
 			BPackageResolvableType	Type() const;
 			const BPackageVersion& Version() const;
 
-			void				GetAsString(BString& string) const;
+			BString				AsString() const;
 
 			void				SetTo(const BString& name,
 									BPackageResolvableType type
diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageResolvableExpression.h b/headers/os/package/PackageResolvableExpression.h
index 718305d4af..eb80b5fe9a 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageResolvableExpression.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageResolvableExpression.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public:
 			const BString&		Operator() const;
 			const BPackageVersion& Version() const;
 
-			void				GetAsString(BString& string) const;
+			BString				AsString() const;
 
 			void				SetTo(const BString& name,
 									const BString& _operator = "",
diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageVersion.h b/headers/os/package/PackageVersion.h
index 08fd724edb..6b620f9a18 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageVersion.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageVersion.h
@@ -21,7 +21,12 @@ public:
 
 			status_t			InitCheck() const;
 
-			void				GetAsString(BString& string) const;
+			const BString&		Major() const;
+			const BString&		Minor() const;
+			const BString&		Micro() const;
+			uint8				Release() const;
+
+			BString				AsString() const;
 
 			void				SetTo(const BString& major,
 									const BString& minor, const BString& micro,
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp
index bd1060479a..73252feb92 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp
@@ -44,16 +44,37 @@ BPackageResolvable::InitCheck() const
 }
 
 
-void
-BPackageResolvable::GetAsString(BString& string) const
+const BString&
+BPackageResolvable::Name() const
+{
+	return fName;
+}
+
+
+BPackageResolvableType
+BPackageResolvable::Type() const
+{
+	return fType;
+}
+
+
+const BPackageVersion&
+BPackageResolvable::Version() const
+{
+	return fVersion;
+}
+
+
+BString
+BPackageResolvable::AsString() const
 {
 	// the type is part of the name
-	string = fName;
+	BString string = fName;
 
-	if (fVersion.InitCheck() == B_OK) {
-		string << '=';
-		fVersion.GetAsString(string);
-	}
+	if (fVersion.InitCheck() == B_OK)
+		string << '=' << fVersion.AsString();
+
+	return string;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageResolvableExpression.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageResolvableExpression.cpp
index 6409c0937b..d841bbf166 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageResolvableExpression.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageResolvableExpression.cpp
@@ -42,15 +42,36 @@ BPackageResolvableExpression::InitCheck() const
 }
 
 
-void
-BPackageResolvableExpression::GetAsString(BString& string) const
+const BString&
+BPackageResolvableExpression::Name() const
 {
-	string = fName;
+	return fName;
+}
 
-	if (fVersion.InitCheck() == B_OK) {
-		string << fOperator;
-		fVersion.GetAsString(string);
-	}
+
+const BString&
+BPackageResolvableExpression::Operator() const
+{
+	return fOperator;
+}
+
+
+const BPackageVersion&
+BPackageResolvableExpression::Version() const
+{
+	return fVersion;
+}
+
+
+BString
+BPackageResolvableExpression::AsString() const
+{
+	BString string = fName;
+
+	if (fVersion.InitCheck() == B_OK)
+		string << fOperator << fVersion.AsString();
+
+	return string;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageVersion.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageVersion.cpp
index 75d211705a..38d8a5ac59 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageVersion.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageVersion.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,34 @@ BPackageVersion::InitCheck() const
 }
 
 
+const BString&
+BPackageVersion::Major() const
+{
+	return fMajor;
+}
+
+
+const BString&
+BPackageVersion::Minor() const
+{
+	return fMinor;
+}
+
+
+const BString&
+BPackageVersion::Micro() const
+{
+	return fMicro;
+}
+
+
+uint8
+BPackageVersion::Release() const
+{
+	return fRelease;
+}
+
+
 int
 BPackageVersion::Compare(const BPackageVersion& other) const
 {
@@ -57,10 +85,10 @@ BPackageVersion::Compare(const BPackageVersion& other) const
 }
 
 
-void
-BPackageVersion::GetAsString(BString& string) const
+BString
+BPackageVersion::AsString() const
 {
-	string = fMajor;
+	BString string = fMajor;
 
 	if (fMinor.Length() > 0) {
 		string << '.' << fMinor;
@@ -70,6 +98,8 @@ BPackageVersion::GetAsString(BString& string) const
 
 	if (fRelease > 0)
 		string << '-' << fRelease;
+
+	return string;
 }